


Of All People...You?

by mindramblings



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Family Drama, Felicity is a Merlyn, Friends With Benefits, Romance, a season one feel with an added twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:54:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 65,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24090151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mindramblings/pseuds/mindramblings
Summary: After his bad boy behavior sends Oliver away, he returns to Starling City years later. He wonders if the personal changes he’s made fit into his life back home where some things have changed, while others remained the same. While dealing with that he finds that the biggest change he wasn’t expecting was being drawn to the one person he constantly clashed with growing up. His best friend’s sister, Felicity.
Relationships: Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 512
Kudos: 630





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> **** EDIT! Felicity's portion of the story didn't save in my first upload, so I'm posting it again. Her portion is very important, so if you already read this chapter on the first round, please read it again. When you see that alert are think you are having deja by, you are, but for a good reason. You get to see where our favorite girl Felicity is at in the beginning of this! I promise you're not crazy. I am though, but please enjoy.****
> 
> I hope everyone is doing well during these trying times. I hope you’re practicing safe measures, staying healthy and safe!
> 
> I took a short mental break away from A03 during this time, but I’m back. I thought I would treat you to something I started working on pre-craziness.
> 
> In this story, the most important fact is that Felicity is a Merlyn. So you get Flommy non romantic style. Oliver and Felicity grew up with a strong dislike for each other. Not a strong hate, but a palpable dislike that will be mentioned.
> 
> Lastly, I feel like this story has the feel of season one. Oliver returns home after years away and the drama really begins.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver returns home. He's excited to see Tommy again, and also, runs into an unexpected face. Felicity makes a change.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

“Babe, have you seen my wallet?”

Tommy lifted the comforter from the bed shaking it in the air hoping to see his wallet fall out of it.

Laurel rested against the bathroom doorway leading into the bedroom watching Tommy frantically search high and low for the wallet that was currently in her hands. She cleared her throat, bringing his attention to her.

“Was tearing my bed up really necessary? You left it on the sink counter.”

Giving her a sheepish smile, Tommy ran up to Laurel quickly kissing her lips. “Thanks.” Taking the wallet, he stuffed in his pockets glancing back at the bed he destroyed. “Sorry about that.”

Laurel looped her arms around his neck giving him a smile. “It’s okay. I know your mind is elsewhere.”

Which was true. Tommy was preparing to drive to Starling City International Airport. His best friend was finally back home after five long years and he was responsible for picking him up from the airport.

Despite being best friends since before either could walk or talk, Tommy and Oliver communicated only sporadically during the time Oliver was away. Oliver didn’t exactly leave town on the best terms with many people and was personally dealing with a lot. And Tommy figured Oliver was busy training, doing combat, saving lives or whatever it is that you do when you’re in the service. But now, he was returning and Tommy was excited to have his oldest friend home again.

“How are you feeling about his return,” Tommy asked Laurel. “You haven’t really said much of anything about it.”

Tommy and Laurel briefly talked about it when Oliver first reached out and said he was returning. Admittedly it was awkward not to have a serious discussion about it, but Tommy figured it was best not to force the conversation.

She shrugged in response. “Our history is so jaded and full of not so great memories that I would rather forget, I really haven’t thought about it in the aspect of him and I.” Laurel dropped her head lowering her voice a bit. “Are you going to tell him about us though,” she asked.

Tommy took a deep breath, but didn’t answer. He brought his arms around her waist holding her close to him. He would be lying if he said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. He didn’t know what to do though. How do you tell your best friend you’ve been seriously dating his ex for the last year and a half?

Tommy always had a thing for Laurel. From when they were kids and through middle school but he was afraid of rejection, so he never made a move. Just as so many other girls, Laurel carried a serious flame for Oliver.

During high school, Oliver made his move first and Laurel fell headfirst into his clutches. But instead of a great teenage love affair, their relationship was marred with lying, cheating and scandals right up until the moment Oliver got on a plane and left.

Tommy, trying to be a good friend, wanted to be there for Laurel. Not surprisingly, her guard was up after trying to heal from Oliver. She focused solely on school and swore off relationships. After graduating from college, she returned home to Starling for work at CNRI, she and Tommy reconnected. Tommy worked hard to prove to Laurel that he wasn’t Oliver, and in turn their friendship deepened and an eventual relationship blossomed.

“I...” Tommy didn’t know what the best answer to that question was. “Do you want to?” He shifted the question back to Laurel.

“I knew he would come back eventually. I just...” She shrugged not able to fully say what she was thinking. “I don’t want his return to disrupt what we have,” she said.

“Will it,” Tommy asked.

“No,” she said quickly. She grabbed his hands in hers shaking her head. “It won’t because I love you and no matter what happened between me and Oliver back then. It’s ancient history.” She looked up in his eyes with a smile. “I’m with you, Tommy Merlyn.”

Tommy grabbed Laurel’s head pressing a kiss to her forehead. His decision was made. “He’s returning home after five years. I think our relationship isn’t exactly high on the list of things he needs to worry about at the moment anyway.” He double checked his pockets making sure he had everything. Wallet, keys and cell phone. “I’ll see you later.”

* * *

_Oliver, take this time to find out just who you are. Dig deep and connect to your true self. Become the brother, son and man that I know you can be._

Those were the last words he heard in Starling City. His mother whispered those words to him in the midst of a hug before he boarded his flight. A flight where he would fly thousands of miles away to a base known as Lian Yu. He was being sent to the Coast Guard. And that’s where he stayed for five years, never returning home until now.

Oliver only had himself to blame really. His parents were at their wits end with him. And his last indiscretion was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

He’d just been kicked out of his third college. The chances of being re-enrolled or finding another one to take him were highly unlikely. Even with his parents offering money, the answer was still no.

He returned home and was met with the surprise that his parents pretty much cut him off financially. Access to his credit cards turned off and his trust fund was whisked away. He would only be able to get the absolute necessities, none of the things he wanted or liked to splurge on. Oh, and he was expected to get a job. If he didn’t find one on his own, he would be placed somewhere in Queen Consolidated, even if it was just in the mailroom.

Pissed, Oliver continued to rebel. He didn’t actively look for a job. He lounged and moped around complaining about how things weren’t fair. His complaints fell on deaf ears. Still, those incidents aren’t what led to him being sent away.

One fateful night his parents went out of town for a work function. Thea was away at a friend’s for a sleep over. Tommy was still miles away at school. And Laurel, his back on girlfriend at the time, was at school as well.

Sara Lance, his girlfriend’s younger sister, who was a high school senior, was still at home. It wasn’t lost on Oliver that Sara carried a serious flame for him. He mostly ignored it, but it always stroked his ego that she wanted him and wasn’t shy about letting him know it when Laurel wasn’t around. She was the free spirited one of the Lance sisters. Adventurous, flirtatious and wild.

That Saturday night he was home alone with nothing but his thoughts, when he got a message from Sara saying she heard he was home. They messaged for a while and ultimately he revealed that he was home alone. She asked to come over and Oliver quickly agreed to her request.

They ran through his father’s alcohol stash, messed around and let the unforgivable lust hang in the air between them the entire night. Before they got to the point of actually having sex, Sara suggested going for a swim.

They were both tipsy and playing around. Sara went to dive in the pool, but instead her foot slipped, she hit her head and fell in. Oliver in his drunken stupor thought she was joking around. Long and dangerous moments passed before Oliver realized that she didn’t resurface. By some miracle, he sobered up enough to jump in and pull her out.

After calling 911, Sara was taken to the hospital in grave condition. The truth of the situation had to come out at the hospital while Sara was fighting for her life.

He had to face his girlfriend, who not only did he cheat on once more, but chose to cheat with his sister. His girlfriend whose sister was currently in a coma because of him.

Oliver was remorseful and apologized profusely, but Sara and Laurel’s parents weren’t exactly forgiving. They placed the blame solely on him. He was the oldest one and should’ve known better. He was the one actively dating Laurel, which meant Sara should’ve been off limits entirely, no matter how much she liked him or flirted with him. It didn’t matter that he and Sara never actually had sex, the implication was there.

Quentin Lance, particularly wanted Oliver punished to the fullest capable legal stint. And being on the police force, he had the connections to send Oliver to prison. The three - day jail stint did nothing for Quentin and he wanted severe punishment. Said Oliver had gotten by with reckless behavior for far too long, and it was time for him to face serious consequences.

His parents managed to plead and bargain with Quentin. The deciding factor being that Oliver would go away for some time and the best solution they could think of was Oliver joining a branch of military. He would go someone to get self-discipline and hopefully learning life lessons while making amends with all the misdeeds he did.

They settled on the Coast Guard. A branch of service that they deemed not as dangerous as the others, but that could still teach him much needed discipline, and it also would have Oliver near water. He’d always been a fan of water and boats, so they took that into consideration.

Five years of service. Five years where communication with his parents and friends was scarce. Oliver was upset at being practically shipped away, so that dwindled the communication aspect down quite a lot. Then there was the shame he felt. The shame of his actions that led to Sara almost dying and the humiliation he brought not one, but two families.

He completely disconnected from his life in Starling, focusing solely on his new life. And he became quite good at being a member of the Coast Guard. Training was hell in the beginning, but he persevered. It was the first time he actually worked hard at something and earned praise. It had a lot to do with his Chief John Diggle. He didn’t car who Oliver was, what his last name was or how much money he was worth. Oliver was there to work and that’s what he did.

As he walked down the strip of sidewalk outside the airport, other service men and women from the flight were being greeted by their families. Joyous reunions all around. Oliver didn’t have that. No parents waiting for their son to return to their family like a missing puzzle piece. No sibling to playfully jostle with before hugging as if their life depended on it. No significant other was there to run into his arms. There was no sleeping child that looked like him. All because of how he left things.

Returning home after five years, Oliver now hoped to put the past behind him. He was returning a new man and he didn’t want his sins of the past bogging him down. It was wishful thinking on his part, but he would still hold out hope.

Want to know who was awaiting his arrival? His best friend. Tommy Merlyn. Oliver shielded his face from the sunlight to see Tommy already outside waiting.

“Ollie fucking Queen! Is that you?” Tommy leaned back against his car with his hands raised high. He shouted at the top of his lungs with a wide grin stretched as fair as it could go. “My partner in crime has finally returned!”

Laughing, Oliver jogged toward Tommy as he stood up helping to eliminate the distance between them. They engulfed each other in a warm hug holding onto each other for a prolonged moment.

Tommy stepped back looking Oliver over. “Man, look at you! You look like a million bucks,” he grinned. “I mean you are worth that much, but you get what I mean,” he laughed.

“You look well,” Oliver said. Tommy looked the same, but also he had changed. He looked more distinguished, that boy like charm long gone. Replaced by the suave gentleman demeanor. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to have you back. Finally, my best friend has returned. Come on.” He patted his back and opened up the trunk. “Let’s get your bags in here and grab something to eat. I’ll take you to this cafe I love. Sound like a plan?”

“Yeah,” Oliver nodded. “Cool with me.”

As they rode down the surface streets, Oliver answered superficial questions about his time away for Tommy. Tommy informed Oliver of the many things he missed while he away. For some reason, he felt that Oliver missed out on monumental moments in the world. Oliver was more than happy to just sit back and listen. It felt almost like old times with Tommy doing most of the time while Oliver sat back listening and laughing.

“Your parents are good. Still healthy and running that company in tip top shape.”

That wasn’t surprising at all to Oliver. If nothing else happened that company would always be thriving.

“Thea is a little lady now. Grown up with a mouth as sharp as a whip,” Tommy continued.

“Wow.” Oliver quietly sighed to himself.

Honestly, he was more anxious to see Thea than his parents. She was always running behind him attempting to follow his every move. Then he became that bad influence and their hangouts dwindled down even before he left. She was a teenager now, so he would be returning to an entirely different version of her.

“How’s your family,” Oliver asked him. He noticed Tommy had yet to mention his own family.

“My dad is my dad,” Tommy shrugged.

He didn’t have to add anything else for Oliver to know what that simple sentence meant. Tommy and Malcolm were once close, but after Rebecca died, a rift grew between the two.

“Felicity is good too. We’re all good,” he said. “The focus is on you and your highly anticipated return home.”

Oliver got the feel that Tommy didn’t want to discuss his family at the moment, so he left it alone. If anyone knew something about tumultuous family ties, it was him.

Quietness slipped into the car as they continued down the road until Tommy spoke again. “You see that building there?”

Tommy pointed towards a building on Oliver’s side. The green sign read Verdant.

“Yeah, that’s all me,” he grinned proudly. “The biggest nightclub in the city. Packed out every time.”

“You’re serious?”

Tommy nodded. “We used to talk about it remember? Said we would ditch our parents companies and do our own thing. I made good on that promise.”

It was one of his drunken ideas and Oliver never gave it much thought. He wasn’t serious about it. And honestly, he had no clue of what he wanted to do with his life. Still he was proud and happy for Tommy, who seemed ecstatic that he was able to accomplish something without his father.

“When did the club start,” Oliver asked.

“About three years. After I got my degree, I tried it out at Merlyn Global first. I only lasted a year before I realized how much I hated it. Quit and opened up Verdant the following year.”

“That’s huge,” Oliver said. “Late congratulations my friend.”

“You know it’s never too late to celebrate,” Tommy said.

Oliver looked over and saw the mischievous glint in his friend’s eye. The same look he would have before they did something reckless as kids.

“What are you thinking,” Oliver asked.

“A party for you at my club tonight.”

Oliver sighed scrubbing his face with uncertainty.

“Listen, you’re going to be reacquainting yourself with family soon and that will be heavy, I’m sure,” Tommy argued. “Take tonight to unwind. Just trust me this. One party.”

Oliver quietly shook his head hesitating before giving an answer.

“Oliver Queen is back, so what’s the best way to celebrate than other than a party?” Tommy added another point to his argument.

Oliver could think of a million different reasons, but instead he remained quiet. He wasn’t the club hopping until four or five in the morning guy anymore.

“It could be a ladies get in free in their best army outfit. Best one gets to go home with you.”

“Coast Guard Tommy,” Oliver laughed. “I was in the Coast Guard.”

“Well how about any costume? That will cover everything,” he suggested next. “Hmmm? What do you say pal?”

Oliver laughed before finally giving in to Tommy. There was no need to fight him because he wasn’t going to let it go.

“Alight. Fine. Let’s do it.”

“That’s my boy!” Tommy grinned excitedly. “You need to get your land legs back,” he said. As Tommy slowed to a stop at a red light, he picked his phone up. Quickly typing out a message, he hit send. “And that starts tonight with a party in your honor.”

* * *

Felicity’s phone buzzed along with her friend’s Lena and Curtis as they sat to a table inside Starling City Cafe. They all glanced down at the message sent out to the masses courtesy of none other than her brother.

**Celebrating the return of the one and only OLIVER QUEEN! Verdant - 11PM Tonight! Come dressed in your best costume!**

With Oliver back in town, of course the first thing those two would engage in would be a party. Just like old times. She wondered whose idea the costume angle was. Giving Oliver, the slight benefit of the doubt, she would bet on her brother. After Oliver left, Tommy picked up his mantle and became the town’s known partying bachelor.

“Tommy sure works fast,” Lena said. “So, I guess that means tonight’s plans are set.” She sat her phone to the side. “We should coordinate costumes,” she suggested to Felicity.

“Why am I not included in this costume coordination,” Curtis asked.

Lena shrugged with a teasing smirk. “Cause you’re a guy.”

“Sexist,” he mumbled with a playful eye roll. “Paul and I will think of something.”

Felicity laughed quietly to herself running her fingers through her new hair. Her blonde  
mane now stopped just at her shoulders. Today was her second day of the cut, but the first time Lena and Curtis were seeing it. She asked them to meet her at Starling Cafe for a drink and she surprised them with the new look.

Lena let out an excited shriek at the sight of it while Curtis audibly gasped with dramatic flair. And it was safe to say the dramatics didn’t stop from him every time he looked back toward her.

Curtis turned his inquisitive gaze onto Felicity. “Back to what we were discussing, I still can’t believe you cut your hair off. That glorious bed of hair gone. Just like that.” He snapped his fingers emphasizing his point.

Lena let out a groan. “Because it’s her hair Curtis, geez! It’s not like she mutilated herself,” she said. “You’re acting as if you’re physically hurt by it and it won’t grow back. Trust me, it will.” Turning to Felicity with a smile, she softened her voice. “I happen to love it. I think the look is very becoming of you and the badass businesswoman you.”

Lena Luthor, Felicity’s blunt best friend since high school. They were inseparable from 9th grade, through MIT and now at Merlyn Global where they both worked. The friendship started by bonding over tumultuous family ties and their goth looks. Only difference, now Lena was still rocking the long jet black hair. Her dark tresses were all natural and she pulled it off incredibly with her striking features.

“I know what it is,” Curtis said undeterred by Lena’s exasperated sigh and eye roll. “You’re like that meme. When girls are hit with an inconvenience in their life, they either dye their hair, cut it...or both. The inconvenience in this particular instance is your boyfriend, who is off doing his best Dora the Explorer imitation.”

Picking up her margarita, Felicity took a quiet sip taking a moment to stew on the words from Curtis.

Curtis, her friend from her internship days at Queen Consolidated, was partially right. No, he was completely right. Expressing herself through her hair had been a thing for Felicity since her mother first gave her the go ahead to try something new.

Her natural hair color was what she called an ashy dark brown courtesy of her parents genetics. She was never the biggest fan of it, so when she entered her angsty years, one of the first things she did was dye her mane. First she added purple highlights, then as she entered the goth stage of her life, the black hair with purple streaks followed. And then finally, she went completely black. As black as the night sky.

Once she graduated college and completed her internship, she knew the next step was working for her father’s company, Merlyn Global. So she stepped onto those perfectly waxed marbled floors as the blonde haired Felicity.

And Curtis was one hundred percent right about a current inconvenience in her life. It came in the form of her longtime boyfriend Cooper Seldon. She met him sophomore year of college. The rebellious spirits making them a perfect match for one another.

They were hooked on each other instantly and were still together approaching three years now. Despite the longevity, problems arose during their relationship. As they grew older, they realized they weren’t as alike as they thought. Felicity was changing and once she started at Merlyn Global, Cooper wasn’t too fond of that version of her. In his words, Felicity was becoming part of the system and turning into what she adamantly disliked while in college.

The main thing that angered him was her new look. The dark hair was gone, switched out for a vibrant blonde. Her wardrobe now consisted of business casual suits and dresses that gave a glimpse of the well portioned body she hid underneath cargo pants and baggy sweaters. Heels took the place of combat boots and she traded her glasses in for LASIK eye surgery.

Cooper felt she conformed to society’s standards and expectations for women. But Felicity didn’t see it that way. She saw it as the simple fact that she was growing, maturing and becoming her own woman. No longer was she the rebellious youth that wanted to buck against the system and fight as if she was a vigilante with a secret lair and team in her arsenal.

Cooper, still fueled by his repel with a cause spirit, refused to see things from Felicity’s perspective. All things combined caused them to be combative, and they fought all the way up until last week when Cooper decided to leave and go on what he called a soul searching journey across the country.

So her relationship with Cooper...currently on a break. After Cooper left, she gave her apartment a deep cleaning, boxing up every trace of him and treated herself to a day of pampering, with her haircut being the final touch.

“You’re both right,” Felicity said to Curtis and Lena. “I’m coming into my own as a businesswoman and I feel like a new cut amplifies that, and...” She looked towards Curtis. “It’s a result of the situation with Cooper also. I wanted a drastic change. Or was either this or a tattoo. Hair doesn’t involve needles, so here we are.”

Curtis snickered at Lena behind Felicitys back. “Told you,” he whispered.

“Anyway,” Felicity laughed. “It’s fun and new, so I’ll see what chapter this new hair brings.”

“Personally, I think you should take this time and have some fun,” Lena said. “I mean you and Cooper were together all those years and he gave you nothing to show for it except complaints. I say go for it.”

“Maybe,” Felicity shrugged. “We’ll see.”

“Fun could potentially start tonight,” Curtis said as he looked back at the party invite on his phone. His attention turned toward Oliver. “I for one, am anxious to finally meet this Oliver Queen,” he said. “I’ve heard so many folklore stories that it’s almost like he’s some kind of mythical being. They even utter his name in the QC halls, and you can hear a hushed whisper cast down.”

“Probably had to do with the fact that he didn’t exactly leave on the best terms,” Felicity mumbled.

“Oh right,” Curtis winced.

No matter how quiet both families tried to keep the truth of what happened from the public and away from the press, word of mouth spread and everyone knew Oliver joining a branch of servitude wasn’t exactly his own decision.

Oliver wasn’t the only one hit with drastic changes. Once she was better, Sara opted to  
finish the remainder of her senior year at home. The scandal being too much for her at school. When she graduated, she enrolled in college as far away as she could find. Opting to only come home for major holidays, soon her presence in Starling dwindled down even more.

While Felicity was disappointed to lose a friendly face in Sara, she completely understood why Sara chose to leave. The Lance household wasn’t the same after everything and to this the day, there was still friction around that topic.

“I’m interested in seeing Oliver. I wonder how much he’s changed,” Lena said.

Felicity pushed her empty margarita glass away from her and rested on the palm of her hands. “We’ve all changed in some way after five years,” she said. “If he’s still that same I will be seriously disappointed.”

Felicity expected some sort of growth from Oliver. How much? She didn’t exactly know. But someone who spent the past years serving their country and away from family and friends couldn’t come back exactly the same as before he left.

A smile stretched across Lena’s face as she peered in Felicity’s direction. “I remember the two of you had off the charts chemistry back then.”

“You mean me and Oliver? What? No,” Felicity scoffed. “First of all, I viewed him as my brother’s very annoying best friend that was always around and second of all, we did not,” she vehemently denied.

Completely ignoring Felicity’s attempt to vehemently deny Lena’s words, Curtis leaned in even more intrigued. “Really,” he asked Lena.

Lena nodded happily reliving some of the moments of their youth. “Oliver and Felicity were like oil and water,” she continued. “They could barely look at each other without biting the other’s head off. It could’ve been enemies to lovers of epic proportions.”

Felicity only rolled her eyes not saying another word. Lena harped on that when they were younger and Felicity quickly squashed that idea. Oliver Queen was not her type. And even if she hoped he changed in his time away, she didn’t see herself falling for him.

“I’m just saying,” Lena continued. “Either that or the two of you could’ve had some electric hate sex.”

“Please,” Felicity scoffed with a laugh. “Not at all my type. Especially not with that serial killer style hair he had going on.”

“If you say so.”

Felicity ordered a refill as Lena continued to talk to Curtis. Her words were true. She and Oliver hated each other. Felicity saw him for the philandering conceited guy he was and she made sure to call him out on it every chance she got. Oliver viewed her as the know it all, argumentative smartass and it vexed him that he was never able to pull the wool over her eyes.

* * *

As they entered the restaurant, there was no wait time. A hostess intercepted them with a friendly smile as if she was anticipating their arrival.

“Hi Mr. Merlyn.” Her voice was full of excitement and cheer as she greeted them. “Your table is ready for you.”

Her eyes soon drifted to Oliver taking the sight of him in with piqued interest. Looking him up and down, the lust and want in her eyes was clear. Standing straighter, she amplified her body by placing her hands on her hips and pushing her breasts out.

“If you need anything, just come and find me. I’ll be right over here,” she said. The change in her voice cadence and the way she put an extra switch in her hips as she walked off didn’t go unnoticed by Oliver or Tommy.

Elbowing Oliver excitedly, Tommy praised him. “I see you haven’t lost your touch.”

Oliver laughed shaking his head. “I don’t know about that.”

Did he still have it? He honestly didn’t know. He hadn’t tried to pick up a woman in a long time. And his last fling, McKenna Hall, didn’t count. McKenna was stationed at the same base as him. There was no work put in on his part and absolutely no energy put into their relationship, better known as a situation-ship. They were a convenient casual hookup and it only lasted a short couple of months. Sex with no emotional connection that worked for a time. It came to an end when she went back home months ago.

Oliver wasn’t torn up about it or even sad for it to end because he knew things would cease eventually. There wasn’t a future with McKenna, nor did he want one with her. They were going in two different directions. She went home following her dreams of becoming a police officer and he stayed put until it was time to return to Starling.

So, the question as to whether he still had that so called touch remained to be seen.

As Tommy continued to joke, Oliver’s attention was drawn completely away from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tempting sight. A woman with a magnificent body and shoulder length hair that had a life of its own with the way the loose curls bounced. She wore a simple white dress, but there was something about the way the fabric clung to her body. He only saw a glimpse of her face, but from what he saw, he was already sold. Maybe he could try his luck on her.

Tommy’s hard slap on his back brought Oliver back to the present. That’s when Oliver realized he hadn’t a heard a word Tommy said to him.

“What did you say,” he asked him.

Before he could answer, Oliver’s eyes drifted away from Tommy once more checking to see if the woman was still in his sight. He quickly glanced around only to be met with disappointment. The woman was gone.

“I said I’m going to run to the restroom, so I’ll be back in a second,” Tommy repeated a bit louder this time. He looked Oliver up and down  
seeing his shoulders tense and body taut with stress. “Would you relax man? You’re back home now,” he laughed. He turned Oliver towards the direction of the bar giving him a slight push. “Get a drink. Maybe you’ll meet a woman.” He brushed his hand over Oliver’s shoulder knocking the wrinkle away. “You know chicks really dig a man in uniform.”

Oliver laughed to himself waving Tommy off. Yeah, Tommy still seemed to be the same. With Tommy gone, Oliver walked up to the bar greeting the bartender with a quiet head nod the bartender reciprocated.

Wiping the bar top off, the bartender placed a napkin down. “What branch,” he asked.

“Coast Guard,” Oliver answered.

“Thank you for your service.” He feigned a hat tip at Oliver. “Your drink of choice is free of charge, so what will it be?”

“Thank you,” Oliver said appreciative. “I’ll take a gin and tonic.” Something light and simple. He already had a drink on the plane because his nerves were frazzled about coming back home. He didn’t really know what to expect and what Starling now held for him.

Within a few seconds, Oliver had his drink in hand. He sat down taking a quick glance around. Tommy’s words and his own question to himself were still in his mind. Could he still successfully pick up a woman? Continuing to look around, his eyes searched for someone to test his doormat skills on.

As he turned bringing the drink to his lips, he saw the woman from earlier again. Now she sat at the other end of the bar. She held her phone up to her ear talking and with her other hand, circled a manicured finger around the rim of her glass.

This was his chance. He was going to do it. Test the waters and see if he could successfully woo this woman. Draining the liquid in his glass, he dropped it down with a slight nervous sigh. The bartender gave him an encouraging nod.

“Good luck,” he said quietly.

Running his hand over his uniform, Oliver quietly approached her. As he stood next to her, she didn’t look up, she just continued her phone call until finally she ended it.

“Alright. Talk to you later.” She sat her phone aside as she grabbed up her glass of water bringing it to her glossy lips. She took a slow sip and droplets of the liquid fell onto her lips like dew on a rose. Her tongue snaked out catching the few droplets that escaped.

Oliver had yet to see her full face, but with what he saw from her backside and side profile, he was willing to take a chance.

_Here goes._

Oliver cleared his throat resting his hand atop the bar top. “Excuse me, ma’am.,” he began. “If I may, may I buy the beautiful lady a drink?”

“I’m afraid you’re too late. I’ve already filled my quota on drinks for the afternoon already. She placed her glass down and tucked the left side of her hair behind her ear.

“How about simple conversation then,” Oliver suggested. “Have you filled your quota on those all well? Ma’am.”

He heard a small laugh escape from the woman’s lips.

“Wow,” she whispered. The word ma’am is actually in your vocabulary now. I guess people really can change after five years.”

Confusion clouded his brain and then nervousness settled in. Finally, an immense feeling of regret drape over him. Please don’t let this be woman he had a fling with years ago and he didn’t know.

She stood with her back to him and straightened her dress on her. Oliver thought she was about to walk away, and he was prepared to swallow this hit to his pride, but instead she slowly turned and faced him.

The first thing he noticed when she faced him was her beauty.

“Your pickup lines still need a bit of work, but nevertheless,” she continued. “The prodigal son has returned.”

It was no longer a question of if this woman knew him. She definitely knew him and was a woman his past. The question now was to what extent did he and the mystery lady know each other.

There was a familiarity with her voice. And her blue eyes had him in a slight trace. As he starred at her and she looked back at him, the sense of familiarity grew. There was a sense of home about her.

The corner of her lips ticked up and an amused smile began to stretch across her face as Oliver continued to quietly balk at her. When her smile finally met her eyes, that’s when Oliver knew. He recognized that infamous smirk instantly.

“Hi Oliver,” she said. “Welcome home. Welcome back to Starling City.”

Before he could acknowledge her with a response, Tommy appeared. And Oliver’s thoughts were confirmed even more. Tommy stopped next to her draping an arm around her, pull her close to him for a kiss on her cheek.

“Baby sis,” he exclaimed. “I see the two of you have already started reacquainting yourselves. Let’s head to the table.”

This was just extra confirmation for Oliver at this point. Tommy only had one sister so that meant that this...this woman was Felicity. The woman he caught a glimpse of and thought was gorgeous and when he saw her full face, his thought was confirmed. The woman he decided to hit on in an attempt to see if he could still successfully pickup someone was Felicity Merlyn.

When Oliver didn’t speak or move, Tommy gave him a quick glance over. “Oliver, you alright?”

Shaking free from the thoughts of his mind, he made her to speak. “Yeah,” Oliver stuttered. “Just was uh...” Words weren’t forming properly and he was struggling to form a complete sentence as Felicity’s eyes drilled into him.

Tommy completely oblivious to what happened only laughed. “Her hair threw you off, huh?” He playfully pulled at stray piece as Felicity batted his hand away.

Oliver cleared his throat with a nod. “Yeah, that’s it.” It wasn’t just the hair. It was the makeup, the body, the clothing. It was everything. “Nice cut,” he said.

Felicity nodded a thank you and pointed at Oliver. The horrendous cut for him was indeed gone. “You as well,” she said. Grabbing her purse off the counter, she finally turned away from Oliver. “If you two don’t mind, can we continue this at the actual table. I’ve had two drinks and if I don’t get food soon, things can really go left.”

Those words made it finally click in Oliver’s mind that Felicity was joining them for lunch. A glaring fact that Tommy seemed to have left out of their conversation on the way here.

Nervousness ramped up in his system once more. Honestly, he would rather she had been a past fling he forgot about. He could give a generic apology and dismiss her. This! This was so much more worse because he had just hit on his best friend’s baby sister. Felicity Merlyn, who when they were younger, seemed to get under his skin in every possible way. Tommy and Oliver were as close as could be, but his relationship with Felicity was the exact opposite. They never meshed and even the simplest conversation ended in an argument. She was always finding ways to be the devil’s advocate when it came to him.

And judging by Felicity’s first words to him, that was unlikely to change. The snark was still there no doubt and Oliver had just walked directly into the lion’s den.

Oliver walked behind Felicity as Tommy led them both to the table, Felicity glanced back at him. He caught her glance, but her face was unreadable and he didn’t know what she thinking. Honestly, it made him a bit uneasy.

The uneasiness didn’t end when they sat to the table. And despite that uneasiness, Oliver couldn’t help but to slightly stare at Felicity as she sat directly across from him studying the menu in her hands. This positioning gave him a full view of her, and what a view it was.

Sunlight from the window reflected off of her now blonde hair casting a glow like effect on her. Her eyes shined in the golden glint and the gloss on her lips dazzled even more against the light.

The last time he saw Felicity, she looked nothing like what sat in front of him. She had black and purple hair. Dark makeup on her eyes and lips. Cargo pants with crop tops or graphic tees and heavy boots were her style. This Felicity was every bit of a grown adult. The body of a woman, the style of a woman who knew what she had to offer and amplified each feature.

He didn’t look away quick enough and when she looked up from her menu, his eyes were locked with hers. The way she seemed to look at him and practically stared through him made him a bit uneasy because he couldn’t read her mind. He didn’t know if she would rat him out to Tommy or what.

Felicity was always a wild card to him. Even growing up, he never quite knew what to expect from her. She always seemed to go against the norm when it came to him.

“I didn’t say it over by the bar, but it’s good to see you again, Felicity.”

Her eyes finally moved and she nodded quietly. Bringing her head back up she gave him what seemed to be a genuine smile.

“You too, Oliver.”

Felicity could see Oliver was practically sweating bullets through his uniform. There was no need to dig at him even more. She gave him a hard time for a brief moment, but in all seriousness it was good to see him again. Alive and well.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver learns some huge family news. Oliver runs into Felicity at his welcome home party.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

After dropping Oliver off at the Queen Manor, he decided to stop by Laurel’s to see her. Wanted to check in with her, especially after their conversation earlier. 

Tommy inserted the spare key into Laurel’s apartment. “Babe, you home,” he called out closing the door behind him. 

“In my room,” she answered back. 

Tommy walked into the bedroom shedding himself out of his jacket, tossing it along with his keys on her dresser. Laurel stretched out across the bed with the remote in her hands, her briefcase and case files long forgotten next to her. Instead her focus was solely on the television screen. 

A news reporter, Susan Williams, her name displayed on the bottom of the screen, talked about the return of Oliver. Laurel could only humorless laugh at how Oliver wasn’t even in town an entire day, but had already taken over all the airwaves. 

“So, he’s really back, huh?” She clicked the television off and let the remote drop from her hand. “Oliver Queen has returned to our lives.”

Tommy nodded and sat down next to her. He figured he would let Laurel lead the conversation so he could gauge where her headspace was currently. 

“Well how was it,” she asked. “The reunion?”

Tommy leaned back with a content sigh. “It was really good seeing him again,” he answered honestly. He and Oliver picked right up where they left off. There was no awkwardness or tension. Just two old  
friends catching up. “It was like no time passed really.”

Laurel nodded silently. “Good, I’m glad you two had that,” she said before turning to Tommy with an inquisitive stare. “Did my name come up at all?”

A little shocked by the question, Tommy sat up leveling himself with Laurel. “No, it didn’t. I thought we agreed to wait....”

“We did,” she said quickly. “I don’t....I guess I was just wondering if anyone brought it up.”

Tommy shook his head. He noticed how Oliver avoided any subject that could potentially deal with the topic of Laurel. He himself avoided topics he didn’t want to discuss, so he couldn’t blame Oliver at all. 

“We mostly just joked around and kept the conversation light,” he said. Tommy also knew he sounded like he was making excuses and he was. He wasn’t ready to tell Oliver. “Plus, Felicity met us, so...”

Laurel suddenly laughed cutting him off. “Oh, I know my name didn’t come up especially if Felicity was there.”

“What does that mean,” he asked. 

“Come on,” she laughed again. “You know your sister isn’t my biggest fan.”

“She doesn’t dislike you,” Tommy argued. “She’s likes you just fine. She just...”

“Tommy, I’m not oblivious. I think I can tell when someone doesn’t exactly care for me. Felicity is one of those people.”

Laurel knew what it was and deep down Tommy did too, but he tried to give it the benefit of the doubt. When it all boiled down, Felicity didn’t approve of Laurel and Tommy together. She told Tommy as much. In her opinion, it wasn’t acceptable for the friend to date his friend’s ex-girlfriend. 

“Maybe I should say she’s not a fan of us. Does that sound better?”

“It doesn’t all have to do with us,” Tommy said trying to reassure Laurel. “Felicity and I have things to work out on our own that doesn’t involve you. You know sibling things.”

Despite Tommy trying to absolve her feelings, Laurel always felt there was something between her and Felicity that kept them from really seeing eye to eye. Even when they were younger and before there was a Tommy and Laurel. Felicity, like so many others was more drawn to Sara. They were cordial. All she ever got from Felicity was a generic hi or goodbye. 

“I appreciate your attempt to make me feel better.” She stood up with a stretch. “Anyway,” she decided to change the subject. “It looks like you have a lot to do before tonight,” she said. “Costume party? Really?”

Tommy gave a sheepish grin. “I figured a party for him was warranted. Five years without a party, not exactly Oliver style. Wanted to make it fun.”

Laurel stifled a short laugh. “Well, have all the fun you want tonight. Just not too much.”

“Wait.” Tommy jumped up standing in front of Laurel. “You’re not going to come?”

“No,” she shook her head. She wasn’t ready to face him just yet, and certainly not in the setting of a party. “I think it’s best if I stay away for the time being.”

* * *

Entering the manor almost felt surreal. So much time had passed. The interior was different, he could tell renovations had been done. Not only did things look different, but they felt different. 

The first face he saw belonged to Raisa, their housekeeper. Only she was so much more. Without her, they certainly would be in ruin. Dropping his bags, Oliver ran and swept Raisa up into his arms. 

Sweet Raisa who always tried to pass him little words of wisdom. He would hear her advice, but never really put much stock into her words. Now, he realized that she was trying to stop him before he went off into the deep end. 

“Mister Oliver! I can’t believe it’s you,” she beamed as Oliver sat her back on the ground. 

Oliver smiled as Raisa looked him over. Hearing her voice was like a warm welcome. Even if she still on calling him mister. Years and years Oliver tried to get her to drop the moniker, but she never did. 

“You haven’t changed a bit,” he said. 

“You have,” she joked running her hands over him. “New hair to go with these massive arms you’ve gained. I know that’s a lethal combination for the ladies. I’m sure you left a lot of broken hearts over there.”

Oliver laughed heartily. “No ladies,” he shook his head. “I pick up a few other things while away, no lady though,” he winked at her. 

Smiling, she nodded towards the stairs. “Miss Thea is upstairs, so I know you’re ready to see her. I’m going to get dinner finished, hopefully you still enjoy your favorites.”

Oliver hugged Raisa once more before letting her go. “If it was made by your hands, no question about it.”

Once Raisa left him, Oliver hurried up the stairs two at time. His heart pounded as he got closer to the top. He was about to see his baby sister and could hardly contain the excited flutters in his chest. 

Turning left, Oliver made the familiar trek down the hall reaching the door that had stars painted around the frame. He smiled with the memory of helping Thea paint entering his mind. Their parents had been upset because she didn’t ask permission, but Thea smiled that famous smile while giving a puppy dog look and everything was fine. 

The door was slightly ajar, so Oliver knocked twice before pushing it open. Thea was on her bed resting on her stomach. She flipped through a textbook completely oblivious with headphones on. Her head bopped and her feet swayed to whatever she was currently listening to. 

Tiptoeing toward her bed, Oliver leaned down to her close as he could without disturbing her. In one quick second, he knocked the earbud out of her ear. “Hey Speedy,” he whispered. 

Thea shrieked so loud, Oliver jumped back covering his ears. This was clearly a mistake on his part. “Jesus Christ,” he grimaced. “Maybe your nickname should be banshee now instead of Speedy.” 

Finally turning around, Thea’s eyes widened as her screaming quieted and the realization took over. Jumping to her feet, she launched herself off her bed and into her brother’s arms. Her arms flew around his neck as she squeezed tightly. 

“Ollie! It’s you!” 

“Yes it’s me.” He lifted Thea off the bed swinging her around in the air as she hung on him. “I missed you brat.” He hugged her tighter relinquishing in the hug and kissed her cheek before sitting placing her back on the bed. 

Thea smiled so hard, her eyes squinted. He could still see the glint of happy tears she tried to wipe away. “Miss me,” he jokingly asked. 

Bringing her hand up, she balled it into a fist and punched Oliver directly in his chest. “What the hell were you thinking scaring me like that? You could’ve given me a heart attack.”  
  
Grimacing, Oliver rubbed at the now tender spot Thea’s knuckles connected with. Grabbing her arm, he yanked her forward into another hug. Oliver pulled her close once more. “Give me another hug,” he said. Trapping her in his arms, he pressed a hard kiss on her cheek as she fought against him.

Giving up, Thea dropped her arms and let Oliver win this one. Sighing into the hug, her short act of resistance was gone. “I missed you too,” she said.

Oliver’s phone vibrated in his back pocket. He pulled it out to see his father replied to the text he sent earlier. As he read the message, confusion clouded his mind. Oliver was under the impression that he was to have dinner with his family, but the text read otherwise.

“Why did dad just text and say he will have dinner with me tomorrow,” he asked out loud. He looked to Thea, but she quickly diverted her eyes. 

“Uh, I don’t know.” Her voice was low and suddenly she was crawling into herself. 

Before he could question her again, another message popped up on his phone from Robert. 

“It also says your mother will explain,” he read.”

Oliver looked to Thea who was doing a horrible job at hiding the fact that she knew more than she was letting on. 

“What does that mean,” Oliver asked. His suspicion was no longer a question. Something was up. 

“I don’t know,” she repeated with a shrug. 

Her answer came a little too quick for Oliver. “Oh please,” he scoffed. “You’ve always been nosey and talented at finding your way into things that don’t concern you, so drop the act and tell me.”

Thea huffed with a defeated sigh. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I’m going to tell you something, but promise you won’t overreact...”

“Speedy...”

Folding her arm, she gave Oliver that stare she always used when being serious. “Promise right now or I won’t say anything.”

“Fine. I promise.” He was sure whatever it was, it wasn’t as serious as Thea was behaving. She had a penchant for overreacting and being overly dramatic since the moment she was able to form complete sentences. 

“Mom and dad got a divorce.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. 

“And she’s married to Walter...”

His eyes widened even more as he stood with his mouth dropping open and slow blinks 

“The dinner tonight was when mom was going to break the news to you. Walter will be there.”

“Walter,” Oliver finally spoke. He basically screamed his name and Thea quickly shushed him. Still shocked and upset, he lowered his voice as he clinched his teeth. “You mean Walter Steele? The guy who works in the finance department.”

Thea nodded. “Yes, the chief financial officer. Bingo.”

“Him and dad are...were good friends, so isn’t...” His words were faltering. He dropped down on Thea’s bed shaking his head quietly muttering to himself. “Dad and mom still share CEO duties and Walter is still head of finance? And they’re all fine with it?”

“Yes, Ollie. It’s because they’re all adults,” Thea said. 

“How? I mean, what happened that led to a divorce?”

Thea crawled down the bed stopping next to Oliver. She leaned against him offering him support through a simple touch. 

“It’s not really complicated,” she said softly. “After you left, mom and dad couldn’t make it work, so it was best to move on instead of being miserable together. They’re both happier now.”

“So, my actions led to their divorce.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” Thea ran a hand though her hair letting out a frustrated sigh. “Listen, mom‘s plan was to break the news to you during dinner, so at least pretend to be shocked and try to be civil and nice when she explains it all to you. Please.”

* * *

Tension in the dining room was as thick as the baked bread Raisa and sat at the table. The chair his father usually occupied was empty. Moira sat to the head of the table with Walter next to her. 

Thea sat next to Oliver giving awkward glances all around essentially drawing attention to herself. 

“Thea, are you okay,” Moira asked. 

“Mhmm,” she mumbled. “I’m fine.” She cut into her chicken quickly stuffing the piece into her mouth giving her the excuse not to say another word. 

Oliver poked and prodded at plate, his appetite waning since the moment Thea told him everything. Raisa returned to the dining room refilling each of their water glasses. When she got to Oliver, she accidentally tripped causing water to splash on the table next to Oliver. 

“Sorry, Mister Oliver.” She quickly wiped up the water with her towel. 

Oliver waved her apology off looking up at her with a genuine smile. “You know you never have to apologize to me,” he whispered. It happened before he knew it. The Russian fell from his lips as easily as English would have.

Raisa looked at him in awe smiling at how easily Oliver spoke her native language. “Very good,” she said proudly. 

“Thank you,” he smiled back. “It’s not a lot,” he shrugged.

When Oliver turned back to face forward, the three set of eyes at the table were all on him. They were certain to all be thinking the same things. He picked the language up from a good friend while away. He didn’t know much, but he could form a couple of sentences and understand some phrases. 

Walter was the first to speak. “Oliver, I didn’t know you picked up Russian,” he said. 

Walter’s face held a friendly smile, and Oliver knew he meant well, but Oliver’s bitterness won over his common sense. “I didn’t know you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter.”

Next to him, Thea choked on the piece of chicken she was still attempting to chew. She coughed loudly until she took a gulp of her water clearing her throat. Of course Oliver would choose to have an outburst instead of calmly discussing the situation.

Moira cut her eyes at Thea knowing that she was the one who spilled the beans. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to compose herself and find the best way to respond to Oliver’s childish outburst. 

Reaching over, Moira grabbed Walter’s hand in hers. “Oliver, Walter and I are married,” she said. “Your father and I divorced a year after you left. Something that had been brewing for quite some time,” she explained. 

“How long,” he asked.

“Two years,” Moira answered.

Oliver quickly did the math. That meant that the time between his parents’ divorce and this marriage wasn’t exactly long in his opinion. 

“And Walter just so happened to pick up the pieces so quickly, huh? When was I going to find out?”

“As I recall, communication with you while you were away wasn’t exactly open all the time,” Moira said. “And I figured it would be better coming directly from us than from a letter or attempting a phone conversation with a bad connection.”

“Coming from us,” he repeated. “You mean coming from you and Walter because I certainly don’t see dad around.” Oliver cut the rest of his response off. There was so much he wanted to say, but instead he held it inside swallowing the angry words down. 

“Listen son,” Walter finally spoke up. “I assure you that I’ve always treated your mother and this family with the upmost respect. I would never do anything to jeopardize the relationship I have built with everyone.”

Oliver looked over finally meeting Walter’s eyes. They held sincerity and Oliver could even hear it in his voice. He just wasn’t ready to meet him there or to accept this new normal. 

“I’m not your son,” he responded. 

“Oliver,” Moira sighed as she shook her head in disbelief. 

“Ollie,” Thea called his name quietly. “Come on, just let it go.”

Ignoring both of them, Oliver slid his chair back scrapping it against the dining room floor. The loud shrill made the already awkward moment even more awkward. Snatching his napkin from his lap, he tossed it onto the table standing up. 

“I think the long flight is finally catching up to me and I’ve seemed to have lost my appetite. Excuse me.”

* * *

By the time Oliver arrived to Verdant with Tommy that night, his mind was on anything but partying. He was still thinking of his parents’ divorce, his mother’s marriage to Walter and his outburst at dinner. He wasn’t in town a full day and the changes were already slapping him in his face. 

He had half the mind to tap into his former self and drown his problems with the best alcohol he could find. As tempting as the thought was, the new version of himself prevailed and he decided to just enjoy the party for what it was. No getting shitfaced drunk tonight. 

It was as of Tommy could sense the tension on Oliver as they walked down the Verdant steps to an overzealous crowd of costumed people ready to drink the night away. 

“This is your night,” Tommy leaned over and whispered. “Let everything from earlier go. Just sit back, relax and enjoy your moment.” He waved his hand out across the crowd as patrons cheered. 

Oliver took a deep breath attempting to get his mind in the partying mentality. He glanced around taking in the crowd of hundreds, decorations in every corner of the place, the loud music pulsing through the place. All for him. “This is a lot,” he said to Tommy. “Thank you,” he said with sincerity. Even if he wasn’t the same partying type he was years ago, he appreciated the lengths his friend went through to really welcome him back. 

“This isn’t even half of it, so don’t thank me yet.” Turning Oliver around, Tommy directed him to a table that held more women than available seats. Women of all shades, different proportioned sizes, different hair. No one lady was like the other. “As your wingman, you’re welcome,” Tommy grinned. 

Every lady was dressed as some form of a waitress. Oliver didn’t know if they were really server girls or if that was their costume of choice for the night. He would lean more to the costume because nothing was really left up to the imagination. 

Grabbing Oliver by the arm, Tommy pulled him over to the table and pushed him down in a seat. “Ladies, please show my guy a grand time tonight. He’s diligently served our country for years, so he deserves it.”

Instantly, one of the girls hopped up with a glass of champagne in town. She sat on Oliver’s lap pressing the glass into his hand. “Welcome home soldier,” she whispered in his ear.

As other women began to crowd around him, Oliver’s attention was taken elsewhere. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of overzealous giggling girls making their way through the crowd. They looked to be a little young to get in, but who was he to say anything. He snuck in quite a few clubs and bars during his day. But then he saw a familiar head of brunette hair.

Without thinking, he vaulted the girl off his lap basically tossing her over to Tommy. 

“Dude, what are you....”

Oliver barely heard Tommy calling after him as he walked away roughly bumping his way through the crowd. 

“I’ll take a club soda.” He heard Thea’s order to the bartender when he finally reached her. 

He silently thanked the heavens that she was at least not going the alcohol route. But before he could call out to her, Oliver saw a guy brush against Thea while giving her a flimsy excuse me. A easy, yet sleazy tactic used to get the attention of a target. Oliver was ashamed to say he used many times in his past. 

“I have something a lot stronger that I think you would be able handle,” the guy continued talking to Thea. 

Thea barely had time to get her reply out before Oliver reached out grabbing the guy by the collar of his shirt. He roughly snatched him back knocking him off balance. Oliver tightened his grip on the guys shirt bringing him close to his face. 

“How would you like to handle a night in lockup,” he growled. “She’s a minor. Now get out of here before I decide not to be nice anymore.” Throwing the guy back, Oliver tossed him into a crowd of unsuspecting people. 

“Gosh! Thanks for making a scene.” Thea sarcastically whispered as she rolled her eyes. “You’re really leaning into those today, huh?”

“What are you doing here,” Oliver turned and asked Thea. “You think I wouldn’t recognize you,” He pulled at the mask on her face.

“Oh please,” she scoffed. “Considering we’ve only seen each other once in five years? Yes, I did.”

Oliver took a step back wounded at Thea’s words. “You’re my sister, of course I know you. You can’t hide from me,” he argued. 

“Very convenient for you to use the brother excuse now. Where was that when there was complete radio silence from you for years,” she threw back at him. “Huh? Where was the concern for what was going on in my life then?”

“Thea, I...”

Thea snatched out of Oliver’s reach. “You know what, I came out because I wanted to celebrate my brother’s return. It’s not like our dinner earlier was exactly a success,” she said. Plastering a smile on her face, she continued. “I figured since a party is more of your style, why not? Just like old times, you know.”

Thea grabbed her bottle of club soda off the counter and turned away from Oliver. Before she could leave, he reached out grabbing her elbow stopping her in her tracks. 

“Speedy,” he pleaded with her. “Listen, I’m...”

“Sorry,” she said for him. “Yeah, I know.” Snatching away from him for a final time, Thea walked off. 

* * *

“You want a dance?”

The girl in his lap whispered seductively in his ear as she leaned into him. Not waiting for an answer from Oliver, she threw her leg over him settling in his lap. Just as she began to throw her arms over his neck, Oliver stood up and she promptly slid off. He heard her sigh in frustration as she straightened up. 

“I’ll be back,” he said. He hurried off before Tommy could question him. Tommy meant well, but the party was overwhelming for Oliver. He’d been out of the party scene for quite some time. That coupled with being back home, a home he didn’t recognize and the run in with Thea, he wasn’t exactly in a party mood. Maybe he needed a breather. If he just took a moment to breathe alone, maybe he could summon some of his former partying spirit. 

Hurrying away from the table, Oliver just walked and walked. It seemed as if every section of the club was packed. He was in search of a quiet place to take a moment to think, but there looked to be none. 

Finally breaking through the last throng of people, he saw a small opening. Glancing back, he looked to make sure Tommy wasn’t following him and he wasn’t. 

He didn’t turn back around in time, and before he could stop himself, he collided with a body. The softness immediately let him know it was a woman he almost knocked to the ground. His hands fell around her waist landing at the curve of her hips to hold her up.

“Seriously,” the woman yelled out as she settled on her feet. 

Oliver saw that he made her spill her drink and he began to immediately apologize for that.

”If this is your attempt to feel me up, you have two seconds to get your hands off of me before the little of what remains of my drink ends up in your face.”

Oliver could barely hear over the loud music pumping through Verdant, but he heard enough to know it sounded like a real threat. Instantly removing his hands, he stepped back with a stifled laugh.

He looked towards the bartender asking for napkins. “Here you go,” he said as he apologized again. “I’m truly sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” he said. “I hope I haven’t ruined your costume or your night.” 

Next to his feet, Oliver saw a pair of bunny ears on the ground. Judging by the black leotard and tights adorning the perfectly carved body in front of him, this woman had to be dressed as a bunny. A playboy bunny more specifically. A mischievous smile popped up on Oliver’s lips as he realized the opportunity that presented itself in front of him. He had an opportunity and he was about to take it. 

Bending down to pick them, he stood clearing his throat speaking a little louder, Oliver felt his confidence quickly return. He stepped a bit closer towards her. 

“So, as an apology, how about I replace your drink and you join me at a table for the night. Just you and me,” Oliver suggested. He stroke the ears of the headband in his hand. “Since you’re a bunny, it seems as if you belong by my side anyway.”

Finally, she turned to face him and it was Deja vu all over again. Staring back at the smug face that stared at him, Oliver felt instant regret like he felt earlier at lunch. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Oliver muttered underneath his breath. Deja vu all over again. Who did he wrong in life for this to not only happen once, but twice in the same day? Two times he hit on Felicity. 

When she was first collided into, Felicity thought it was some random guy attempting to use a sleazy tactic to grab her attention. Then he spoke and she knew it was Oliver and sure enough, he tried to use a line on her. Admittedly, this pickup line was better than the one he used earlier. She had to give him credit for being innovative and using a prop. 

Snatching the ears from Oliver, she fixed them on the crown of her head. There was a threatening laugh deep within her, but she managed to hold it in. The look of complete utter shock on Oliver’s face was priceless. 

Felicity and Oliver hadn’t talked to each other since lunch earlier. And they both made certain not to mention a word of what happened between them during lunch. It was already an awkward lunch with Tommy being some sort of weird combination of excited and tense.

She knew the tension was coming from the big secret he was keeping from Oliver by the name Laurel. It was obvious that Tommy was deliberately staying far away from that topic jumping from subject to subject at lightning speed. It didn’t give them time to settle on any one thing. Then of course their familial issues reared its head when Oliver mentioned Merlyn Global and Felicity revealing that she worked there. It got tense for a moment and Oliver had to smooth things over as best as he could. 

So to see Oliver again only for him to hit on her once more was terribly funny to Felicity after the day’s events. 

“Wow,” she exhaled. “Two times in the same day you have hit on me. Is there something you want to tell me?”

Looking away, Oliver struggled to hold eye contact with Felicity. “I didn’t know it was you,” he said. Oliver glanced away quickly, so he could stop himself from staring. With Felicity facing him now, he saw the full picture of her costume. He couldn’t help but to think it was the best costume of the night he’d seen. 

“How about just being up front and saying, hey, do you want to hook up tonight? No need to pretend...”

“Who said I was pretending,” Oliver argued. “If I knew it was you, I never would’ve have said excuse me, let alone anything. It doesn’t even matter because you’re Tommy’s little sister and a pain in my ass, so that’s off the table.”

“Where’s your costume,” she asked. “You said you had one on, but I don’t see one.”

Oliver gave her a blank stare gesturing towards his outfit. 

“Hugh Hefner. Did you miss what I said about the whole bunny thing?”

“Oh.” A smirk appeared on her face. “I thought this was your everyday look,” she said. “You know, considering your personality.”

“Oh, that’s cute, Felicity. Real cute,” he rolled his eyes. 

Felicity let her eyes travel over Oliver. He had the Hugh Hefner look down to a perfect science. The opened robe showcasing his chest, the black slacks and captain’s hat. She hated to admit that the look was really working for him. 

“What are you staring at,” he asked. 

Before Felicity could respond, Lena came up from behind grabbing her. “Felicity, what is taking so long? Curtis and I were getting worried.”

“I was on the way until someone practically ran me over,” Felicity said nodding towards Oliver.

Lena looked up noticing the guy standing for the first time. Slowly her eyes widened in realization. “Oh! Oliver, it’s you!” Even though she was at his party, Lena had yet to see Oliver. The club was as packed as could be and the only people who got close to Oliver were the designated VIP guests and even though they were welcomed, Felicity preferred not to be in that area, so they mingled among the common area. “It’s Lena,” she pointed at herself. “Remember?”

“Lena Luthor, right?” Seeing them standing side by side, Oliver certainly remembered. He would always call Felicity and Lena the goth twins, but never loud enough for either of them to hear. “I do. It’s good to see you again,” he said with a genuine smile. “I see the two of you are still close. I’m glad to see that.”

Lena nodded. “Can’t let you and Tommy be the only close best friends.” She hooked her arm through Felicity’s resting her head on her shoulder. “What do you think of our costumes,” she asked. Lena’s costume was a pink bunny, inspired by Elle Woods I’m Legally Blonde. 

“They’re good,” he said. “I see you two coordinated. Cute.”

Oliver looked from Lena back to Felicity whose face had reddened almost to the shade of her lips. 

“We did, but it seems as if you two are the perfect match.”

“More like foil,” Felicity muttered under her breath as Oliver’s smile promptly dropped. 

An excited Curtis made his way over to them promptly ending the short tense moment. 

“Hi,” he held his hand out to Oliver. “We haven’t met. I’m Curtis Holt, a friend of Felicity. I also work at Queen Consolidated.”

“Nice to meet you.” Oliver said accepting the handshake. “I hope my parents aren’t too much for you to handle.”

“I work in the IT department, so our interactions are more on the scarce side, but on the few occasions where I’ve been lucky enough to speak with them, they’ve been very pleasant,” he said truthfully. 

“Good,” Oliver smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Curtis looked from Oliver to Felicity and Felicity could see the moment the light bulb went off in his mind and overexcitement took over him. 

“Please don’t...”

Felicity’s plea was quickly cut off as Curtis whipped his cellphone out. “I have to get a picture of this,” he said. 

Felicity looked to Lena for help, but obviously enjoying the moment, she declined. 

“I’ll stick out in this pink,” Lena said. Waving them off, she stepped further back. “But you two go ahead.”

Reluctantly biting the bullet, Felicity slid next to Oliver. He placed his arm around her, his hand resting at her hip. The same hip he held moments earlier. His body was warm and Felicity didn’t know if she was cold from the sleeveless outfit or if her body was just welcome his heat. 

Oliver instinctively inhaled as Felicity stepped into place. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a flowery smell and he realized it was coming from Felicity. He didn’t know whether the sweet scent came from her hair or perfume. 

Curtis is counting down pulled both Felicity and Oliver attention back to him. Managing to smile for three seconds, Curtis was able to snap the perfect picture. 

“Picture perfect,” he cheered. Putting his phone away, he apologized. “Sorry, I just love taking pictures and this was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.” 

Lena grabbed ahold of Curtis before he could talk again, something Felicity was thankful for. “Now that we see you’re alright, we’re going to head back to the table and leave you two alone. See you when you’re done here,” she said whisking Curtis away. 

“I need a drink,” Felicity muttered as they walked away. Peeling herself away from Oliver’s embrace, Felicity practically launched herself on the bar. “Hey Floyd,” she called out to the bartender she’d gotten to know on the few occasions she decided to pay Verdant a visit. “Can I get another cosmopolitan? This jerk here spilled mine.”

Oliver leaned back against the bar watching Felicity. 

Looking over, she noticed his gaze lingering on her. “Shouldn’t you be somewhere with girls draped all over you? Why are you still wasting time over here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he responded. “Your friends are over there.”

“Obviously I’m getting a drink.”

“A terrible one, might I add,” he said. 

“Well luckily, I’m drinking it and not you,” she rolled her eyes. “Tommy doesn’t offer wine, so this is what I have to be subjected to,” she said. “Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. “You know what, I’m not going to let you rile next up.”

Oliver smirked at Felicity’s annoyance. “Seems like I did,” he whispered.

Felicity glanced past Oliver’s shoulder to see Tommy approaching and readying a woman like she was a piece of meat. His face held an excited grin as he called out Oliver’s name. The girl looked all too eager for this chance as she adjusted the straps on her costume preparing for her moment. 

“My brother is trying to get your attention. He has a lady for you. You better get over there,” she said. “Or should I tell him that you’re more interested in hitting on me tonight?”

Oliver’s eyes widened and he stood speechless. For a moment, he struggled with how exactly to respond. Finally he shook his head laughing in disbelief. 

“I thought you were someone else,” he said. He said it firmer this time as of it made the statement more concrete. 

“Sure you did.” She whispered it under her breath, but she was sure Oliver heard everything word. His glare at her was evident that he did. 

“You know,” he finally spoke again. “This short interaction has really helped me remember why you and I never got along.”

It was things like that. The meticulous way she crawled under his skin and just rested there only with a few short words. 

Cocking her head to the side, Felicity’s eyes stared into him. It already seemed as if she was shooting daggers at him with her eyes, but with her head cocked, she seemed to be staring directly through him. 

“Funny.” Felicity crossed her arms and took two small steps towards Oliver until she was directly in front of him. She lowered her voice to a quiet whisper, but she made sure that Oliver heard each word she spoke. “I never forgot.” Without another glance, she grabbed her drink and walked off leaving Oliver standing at the bar. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Oliver grab a cup of coffee together. Laurel and Oliver see each other for the first time in five years.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

Early in the afternoon, Oliver had lunch with his father. The lunch left much to be desired and the reunion wasn't exactly ideal. It didn't go the way he preferred for it to go. Afterwards, Oliver needed somewhere to go to clear his mind. Or at least, attempt to. He didn’t exactly want to go home. Thea was still pissed at him, so she would shoot him icy glares. His mother would want to know how the lunch and conversation went. And of course, Walter would be there. 

Barricading himself in his room seemed like something a tantrum throwing teen would do so he opted to find someplace else. After driving around, he ventured into a local gym. Working out always cleared his mind, so he sought solace in weights and deadlifts for over an hour. 

Tossing the battle ropes down, Oliver bent over attempting to catch his breath. He heard the low clearing of a throat behind him and the presence of a body close to him. Turning around he looked down and was met with the face that seemed to be haunting him since he returned home. 

“God,” he groaned. He was already in a not so great mood. He definitely didn’t have the energy to go jab for jab with Felicity at the moment. “What are you doing here?”

Felicity grabbed her jacket slipping it on. She’d been at the gym for about an hour. After finishing her last session on the treadmill, she heard what seemed to be someone letting off a lot of steam. 

Looking back, she saw it was actually Oliver and he seemed to be very wound up. The ropes were an intense workout, but Oliver seemed to be taking all of his aggression out on them. Tiptoeing over to him, she decided to see what was bothering him. 

“The last I checked, the gym was available to all,” she replied. 

Oliver threw his hand up waving her off without a word. Her tone was just as he expected. Full of snark and matter of fact subtleness. Dropping down on the bench, he let out a tired sigh. He wasn’t tired from the workout, he was tired mentally. Since the moment he returned home, he was met with new wrinkle after new wrinkle. From his parents, to Thea, to just about everything.

As his mind wandered, he looked up again to see Felicity now standing over him. “What,” he asked as she stared at him. 

“Are you okay,” she asked him in return. 

Her voice held concern, but in his haze, he didn’t take it in. Instead Oliver looked away from her with a frustrated scoff. “Why do you care? So you can make my already bad mood worse? Yeah, no thanks.”

Felicity stepped back with a laugh of disbelief. She blamed herself for attempting to be nice to Oliver. Five years and he still had a flippant attitude to someone being genuine. 

“I was genuinely asking because it seemed as if something was bothering you,” she threw back at him. “I forgot being a decent human being is such a foreign concept to you,” she said before storming off. 

Now he felt bad. He was still on the defense from earlier with his father and he forgot to turn it off. He took his frustrations out on Felicity when she did nothing to warrant it. At least not this time, so he needed to apologize. 

As he watched her figure retreat, he called after her with a quiet apology. “Sorry,” he mumbled with a low tone. 

Felicity heard his apology, but it wasn’t enough. She sat down on the gathering her things in her bag. Oliver’s eyes were still on her and she could tell he was waiting on a response from her. A mumbled sorry wasn’t exactly going to cut it. 

“Excuse me.” She looked toward him with a finger to her ear. “Were you apologizing to me or to your equipment because I didn’t hear a single word of that.”

Oliver stood up towering over her. Reaching behind her, he grabbed the towel off his neck as he looked down at her. She stared back him ever expectantly. He laughed softly as he wiped the sweat away from his brow and neck. “I said I’m sorry,” he said again much louder this time.

Felicity smiled satisfied. “Apology accepted.” Before she could talk herself out of it, she chose to be a decent person and continue to see if Oliver was really alright because she could tell something was bothering him. “Do you want to talk,” she asked him. It seemed as if something was heavily weighing on him. 

“Talk,” he repeated. 

“Yes talk,” she said. “As in have a conversation. It seems as if you could use an ear, so I’m offering mine.” She held her hands up illustrating her innocence. “No strings attached.”

“Really,” he asked with a bit of skepticism. Being cordial with Felicity wasn’t familiar territory. 

Felicity nodded. “There’s this cafe across the street that’s really good. We can go there and talk.”

Oliver felt as if he might’ve been in the twilight zone. Felicity was being nice to him “Sure. Let me just grab my things.”

Once they were at the cafe, Felicity ordered a drink Oliver never heard of before while he chose to stick with something traditional and simple. Black coffee, no sugar, syrup or cream added. Just a strong non-diluted black coffee. 

“Jitters.” Oliver said the name aloud as he and Felicity sat to a table against the wall of the cafe. “Tommy didn’t show me this place on my mini tour of the city,” he said. “How long has this been around?”

“Almost two years,” Felicity answered. “Tommy isn’t big on coffee, so he doesn’t come here often,” she said. “Me on the other hand, I’ve been what you can call a caffeine connoisseur since the days of stealing my mother’s coffee while she worked.”

Oliver picked up his cup taking a sip. He knew how much it hurt Tommy and Felicity when their mother passed. He never pressed either to talk about her death. He could only imagine just how hard losing a parent was. Here he was a grown man and struggling with his parents divorce. Oliver remembered fondly. She was an amazing, sweet and nurturing woman. 

“Anyway,” Felicity cleared her throat. “Want to talk about what’s bothering you,” she asked. “Only psychopaths workout without listening to music, a podcast or something as a distraction. You were attacking your equipment without a pair of headphones or Air Pods in sight, so clearly, something is wrong.”

Oliver started blankly at Felicity trying to come to terms with what she said. 

“Did you just insult me while also asking about my wellbeing? That’s the most Felicity thing for you to do.” 

“I’m right though, aren’t I.” She threw the question back at Oliver as he nodded. 

"I had lunch with my father earlier," he said. 

“I'm guessing it didn't go so well," she replied.

"Yeah." Oliver let out a lifeless laugh. “If you want to sum it up that way." 

“Want to talk about it," she offered.

Oliver appreciated the gesture, but he didn't want to rehash it. "Not really."

"Sorry," Felicity whispered.

"It's fine," Oliver sighed. "I will just add it to the list of things that have gone wrong since I've returned home." "Struggling with coming back? "You feel as if life has moved on without you?" Felicity asked. Oliver looked up at her with an inquisitive gaze. As if he was confused that she could clearly see what was eating away at him. “I know because I could see it all over you at your welcome home party,” she said. “You seemed distant.” 

Every time she laid eyes on Oliver after running into him by the bar that night, Oliver seemed to be drawn into himself. She knew what faking it looked like and that’s exactly what Oliver was doing. 

“That party was the last thing on my mind,” he admitted. 

“Did you tell Tommy you didn’t want a party,” she asked. 

Oliver tried. But Tommy was so adamant and excited to show off Verdant that Oliver didn’t want to dampen his spirits. He thought he could fake it, but once it was time, he struggled. Tommy didn’t seem to notice Oliver’s unwillingness to revert back to his old self. 

“That was Tommy’s way of showering me with love, I didn’t want to just shoot him down, you know?”

Felicity understood. Even if Oliver voiced his displeasure, Tommy would just talk him into it. At times, Tommy could only see things from his perspective. He failed to look at where others were coming from only focusing on his side of things, with only one goal in mind. 

“Everything is just a lot," Oliver blurted out as he lumped over the table. 

“Meaning?”

“You want to know the list of changes I’ve been hit with and it hasn’t even been a week.” She nodded and Oliver sat up with a sigh. “My father lives in a penthouse apartment on the other side of town. My mom is now married to Walter, who I always knew to be my father’s best friend. Thea is a teenager, who dislikes me very much at the moment. And Tommy...”

Felicity held her breath when Oliver mentioned her brother’s name. Did he know about him and Laurel? If he did, surely that wasn’t a change he was expecting. 

“...he’s this successful businessman that’s running a lucrative club making a name for himself outside of last name.“

Releasing the breath she was holding, Felicity nodded at Oliver’s words. So, he still didn’t know. She couldn’t say if this was a good or bad thing in Oliver’s current state. 

Oliver didn’t know why he was so overwhelmed. He personally made changes, so why did the things he learned since being back home send him for such a tailspin. It was a lot to take in all at once. 

“Hell, even you’re different,” he motioned towards Felicity. He never thought he would see Felicity this way. Go from goth girl to this blonde bombshell that sat in front of him. 

Felicity laughed. “Yes, I grew up,” she shrugged. “I went from the goth stage to a working in the business world.”

“You like it,” Oliver asked. “Working for your father? Working for hour family’s company?”

“I do,” she answered honestly. “It’s a lot different from what I envisioned myself doing when I was younger, but then again, people grow and change,” she said. “Families change. And this is coming from someone with experience in that area.”

“What if I can’t handle the changes?” 

“You’re going to have to,” she stated simply. “I’m sure you’re not the same guy you were five years ago. The serial killer hair is gone, so that’s a huge start.” 

Oliver laughed. “Yeah, the hair was the first thing to go once I got over there. My commanding officer made sure of that.”

“Whoever he is, I need to thank him for making you cut that mop off of your head.”

“Never knew you took such notice of my hair,” he said. “Something you need to tell me?”

“Oliver please,” Felicity rolled her eyes. “You are the one that flirted with me.”

“I just wanted to see if I still had my charm. Nothing more. Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it charm,” Felicity mumbled. 

”Oh yeah? If I wasn’t who I was, you would’ve totally fallen for it. Wouldn’t you?” 

“I’m not answering that.”

“Why not,” Oliver shrugged. “It’s a simple question.”

“Really,” she narrowed her eyes. “If I wasn’t your best friend’s sister, would you have continued to try to get in my pants?”

“You didn’t have on pants,” Oliver said avoiding the question.” He drunk the last of his coffee placing the empty cup in the center of the table. “You didn’t answer my question, so I’m not answering yours. Fair game.”

* * *

Oliver glanced up towards the sky and looked as if he was bracing himself for something. 

Felicity watched him confused. “What are you doing,” she asked. 

“I’m trying to make sure a lightning bolt isn’t about to drop out of the sky and strike us. We’re having a normal conversation with no animosity. That’s unheard of for us,” he said. “Particularly you.” 

“Me,” she exclaimed. “I only dished out what I was given. You were a pain in my ass on purpose. You got joy out of getting under my skin,” she said. 

“You’re my best friend’s little sister. The way I treated you is sort of the rite of passage. It’s written somewhere that if you’re best friend has a little sister, you’re obligated to antagonize her.”

“So, I antagonized you back,” she shrugged. “Fair game, right?”

Oliver had to admit that Felicity was better at the back and forth game than he was. At times, she would ignore him and he would eventually leave her alone. But the times when she was the one doing the antagonizing, she was an expert at pushing the exact button to set me off.

“What was it about me that you hated,” he asked. Felicity opened her mouth to speak, but Oliver talked over her. “And don’t object because we both know the truth.”

“Oh, I wasn’t objecting. I was agreeing,” she said. “You were everything I hated in a guy,” she answered honestly. “Unfaithful. Arrogant. You used your name and wealth like a badge of honor. That was the easy way to get whatever you wanted, particularly into a girl’s pants. Shrugging, she continued. “I don’t know, I just felt like you could do so much more, but you just chose to be the stereotypical guy instead. You never really tried to be sincere.”

Felicity had just so effortlessly described the guy he used to be. He felt as if he was looking in a mirror sitting across from her. 

“Touché,” he sighed. Looking back at Felicity, he met her eyes in a moment of truthfulness. “That’s not who I am anymore.”

“Really,” Felicity challenged him. “Despite hitting on me twice?”

“And in those two times, I didn’t use my name or status did I,” he asked. Sitting back, he smiled proudly. “A changed man.”

Shaking her head, Felicity had to admit that Oliver was right in this particular instance. He didn’t throw out his name. He used pickup lines, but they were at least better than what she heard him use years ago. “If you say so,” she laughed. 

“You know, I think I figured out why you were always managed to set me off...”

Oliver cut his words off abruptly when he noticed Felicity’s eyes wonder and her face fall as she looked away from him. It prompted Oliver to turn to see what it was she was looking at. And that’s when his eyes landed directly on Laurel. She was standing still in the middle of the floor looking at him and Felicity with a shocked glare on her face.

Oliver turned back around letting out a breath. He knew this moment would come. Seeing Laurel for the first time, but he still wasn’t ready. He’d been so focused on moving past what happened, that he didn’t want to be confronted with all of his transgressions from her. 

“I’m guessing the two of you haven’t seen each other since you’ve been back,” Felicity spoke again. 

“We haven’t.”

“Oh wow,” Felicity exhaled. Laurel began slowly making her way over to them and she felt immediate dread the closer Laurel got to them. Just her luck, she would be around when Laurel and Oliver saw each other for the first time. 

All of the baggage those two carried and not to mention the secret regarding Laurel and Tommy’s relationship. 

Laurel stopped next to their table and glanced between the two of them. Felicity looked at Laurel and the range of emotions displayed on her face.

“Felicity. Hi,” she spoke. 

“Hi,” Felicity repeated with a small wave and an uncomfortable smile. 

Oliver said nothing. He looked as if he was frozen in place. The cafe was loud and bustling with activity. Workers and paying customers alike moved around business as usual. But it felt as if you could hear a pen drop on the floor next to them. The awkwardness became too much for Felicity and she took the moment to excuse herself. 

“You know what,” she grabbed her things standing up to leave. “I’m just going to go.” 

“Felicity...”

Oliver called her name like a plea, but Felicity knew she couldn’t stick around. It wasn’t a conversation or moment for her to be a part of. This was between the two of them. And she knew it would be neat for her to exit before she let some things slip out. 

“I will see the two of you around,” she said. She quietly whispered sorry to Oliver, before heading for the exit. 

Oliver stood up and slowly turned to Laurel. He didn’t know what to brace for. A slap? A drink thrown in his face? Yelling? Whatever emotion she wanted to display, he would let her. 

The last time he saw Laurel was days before he left town. He stopped by the hospital to see how Sara was doing. Laurel said she never wanted to see him again and ordered him to leave. Standing here today, she looked the same to him but different. Just as he was a different man, she was a differently woman. She was now a lawyer, a goal she held onto for half of her life. 

“Hello Laurel.”

Laurel took in a deep breath shakily releasing it. “I’ve envisioned this moment so many times and still I wasn’t prepared to see you again.”

“Avoiding me?”

“No,” he answered. “I’ve been trying to acclimate myself with all the new things in Starling. Particularly my family, so I’ve been a little busy.” 

“Busy partying,” she threw back at him. She saw the pictures and the smiles on everyone’s face. It looked as if the party was a grand success. 

”That was a party I didn’t ask for,” he said growing defensive. 

“Hmm,” she whispered before growing quiet.

“Would you like to have a seat,” Oliver offered her Felicity’s vacant chair. 

“No,” she quickly declined. “I think it’s better if I stand.”

“So, I hear you’re a lawyer now. That’s good. I’m happy you accomplished your dream,” he said. 

Laurel only nodded not saying a word. 

“How’s your family,” Oliver asked next.

In an instant, her eyes went from indifferent to holding angry ire. “Don’t,” she quickly said. “You don’t get to ask about them...”

“I just...I just wanted to know how everyone’s doing.”

“They’re fine, but if you really cared, you would’ve written back and asked about the people whose lives you’ve affected. Particularly me,” Laurel snapped. “I wrote you letter after letter that first year and you didn’t even have the decency to write back. Not even once. Do you know how foolish that made me feel?”

Laurel wrote a letter every couple of months and sent it to where Oliver was stationed. She put all her feelings on paper. Anger, hurt, frustration and confusion. At first she thought it was therapeutic, but soon, she began feeling like an idiot awaiting an response from the guy who cheated on her with her sister. Finally, she quit writing him altogether and tried to move on with her life. 

Oliver bowed his head in shame. He remembered each of those letters he received. He read the anger and it was as if Laurel was right in front of him. 

“What did you want me say,” he finally responded to her. “There was nothing else I could say other than sorry and I said that over and over before I left. No one wanted to hear it.”

“Oh poor you,” Laurel scoffed. “The guy who was given chance after chance by literally everyone. You think what you did could’ve been fixed with a simple I’m sorry,” she continued. “What I wanted was for you to mean those words and explain to me the why. Why you decided to hurt me in the worst way imaginable and why you decided to ruin my family.”

Oliver glanced around seeing that set of eyes were taking notice of him and Laurel. And Laurel wasn’t exactly keeping her voice down, so that didn’t help at all. He didn’t want to make a scene in the middle of a coffee shop. He needed to deescalate the situation as much as he could. 

“Laurel, I was young,” he said. “That’s the only excuse I have. I was young, dumb and selfish. I didn’t look at the big picture of what I was doing, I only cared about myself,” he shrugged. “That’s the honest truth.”

That was the guy he was five years ago. Simple and true. He was a jerk that only concerned himself with where he could party and the next girl he could charm into his bed. He didn’t care about anyone other than himself and he certainly didn’t care about consequences or collateral damage from his actions. He only hoped that the man he was now could make amends.

“You couldn’t put those words on paper, huh?”

“There was no need to write back after you told me to rot in hell.” That was the last letter he got from Laurel. It was the angriest one she sent him. She said she never wanted to see his face again and wanted him to rot in hell where he was at. 

“And I meant it,” Laurel said with gritted teeth. Tightening her grip on her purse, she gave Oliver one last look. “I only wish it was a lot longer than five years.”

* * *

Felicity knocked on Tommy’s door waiting for him to answer. Placing her on the door, she listened for his footsteps. As he approached, she lifted her head.

“It’s your sister,” she yelled out. “Make sure you’re decent.”

The door opened and Tommy stood in the door with a deadpan look. He looked Felicity up and down taking in her workout attire. “Doesn’t look like you are.” He stepped towards the side and let Felicity pass him. “You stink,” he whispered in her ear. 

“I was at the gym.”

“That’s right. Trying to get in shape for the charity run that you’re certainly going to fail at.” Tommy laughed. 

Felicity wasn’t the most active person. In the last year, she started working out at a more consistent basis. She tried to cut down the amount of sugar she consumed as well as junk food. All of this was convenient because the charity race was later this year. 

“I’m winning this by any means,” she said to him with an eye roll. 

Merlyn Global prided itself on its charitable endeavors. Last year, they started a 15 mile run event to raise money. Companies from Starling as well as other cities competed for the $500,000 prize to win for their chosen charity. Lena was the competitor last year, and she came in third place. Felicity was the chosen person this year, and she was determined to complete it. Hence the gym visits and her attempts to change her eating regime. The latter, she was certainly struggling with. 

“Anyway.” Felicity flopped down on Tommy’s sofa and stretched out across it. I saw Oliver at the gym,” she said. 

Tommy busied himself in his kitchen making a sandwich. He spoke to Oliver earlier and he told him he was on his way to the gym. Not seeing the point in Felicity telling him that, he continued on half listening. 

“After the gym, I introduced Oliver to Jitters. We were having a cup of coffee when Laurel showed up.”

Tommy paused as he brought his sandwich up to his lips. He glanced up to see Felicity peeking at him over the back of his sofa. “What did you say?”

Peeling herself off the sofa, Felicity walked into the kitchen joining Tommy. “Laurel showed up at Jitters today. I left her and Oliver in the midst of a very uncomfortable conversation.”

“That’s fine.” Taking a bite of his sandwich, he shrugged. “They were going to have to see each other eventually.”

“And exactly how long do the two of you plan on keeping this,” she waved her hands. “...a secret?”

“Are you Oliver’s spokesperson now or something? Why are you concerning yourself with it?”

“Because it’s going to come out eventually. Laurel knows more than anyone how messy things can get...” Laurel had a front row seat to the drama and fallout of things after the news of Oliver and Sara came out.

“Laurel was right. It seems like it’s her you have a problem with more than our relationship.”

Felicity was stunned that Laurel thought that. Granted, the two of them weren’t buddies, but Felicity considered herself more indifferent to Laurel. Not a strong dislike. 

“What,” Felicity scoffed. “I do not have a problem with her,” she said. “She said that?”

“She mentioned how the two of you never could see eye to eye. You’re not exactly proving her wrong right now either. A friendship could’ve been formed there. You’ve been in each other’s orbit for years.”

“Why would I have been friends with her? I wasn’t friends with anyone that you hung out with.”

“I guess Max doesn’t count, huh?”

Max Fuller, whom she briefly had a fling with when they were younger.

“Tommy, that was ages ago,” Felicity laughed. “Also, you’re totally changing the subject.”

“Yes, I’m changing the subject because this conversation is over.” Tommy grabbed his plate and moved past Felicity heading for the living room. 

Felicity was undeterred and she followed him down the three steps over to the sofa. 

“Oliver and Laurel were in the middle of heated conversation and things always tend to come out in anger,” she said as Tommy groaned. “I just feel like to preserve your friendship, it would be better coming from you instead of her.”

Tommy dropped his plate on the coffee table with a sigh. He stood up looking directly into Felicity’s eyes. “Don’t worry, she’s not going to tell him.”

“How do you know she’s not,” Felicity asked. 

“Because she and I talked about it. We’re going to do it when the time is right...” Tommy waved his hand in frustration cutting his explanation off. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. “You know what? I don’t even know why I’m explaining this to you,” he said. “It’s none of your business, Felicity.” 

“I’m only...”

“Stop meddling in my personal business.” Tommy’s voice was now raised. “My life is my life and your life is your life. I won’t focus on yours if you don’t focus on mine. Got it,” he snapped. 

Folding her arms across her chest, Felicity gave up. “You’re right,” she nodded. “I’ll stay out of it from here on out.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver makes amends with Thea. An argument between Tommy and Felicity leads her to a bar where she runs into Oliver.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

Moira entered the kitchen stopping in her tracks when she saw Oliver sitting at the island. 

“Oliver. You’re up?” She was surprised to see him because for the last couple of days, whenever she was getting ready, he was nowhere to be found. 

Oliver nodded quietly as he took the last bite of his apple. He’d been using his room to avoid people lately. Almost like he reverted back to his pre-teen sulking phase. Using his room as a barrier to put off confronting what needed to be addressed and hoping things would be forgotten. He would wait for everyone to leave and then come out. 

Raisa called him out on his behavior just two days ago when he ventured out of his room for a snack.

_“You can’t stay locked up forever. You will have to face it all one day, or it will bite you in the not so nice area.”_

Leave it to Raisa to call him out on his behavior in the sweetest and gentlest way possible. 

Tossing the core in the trash, he responded to Moira. “I’m about to head to Verdant with Tommy in a bit,” he said. 

“Oh. Good,” she smiled. “Seems as if the two of you slipped right back into your regime.” The memories of Tommy and Oliver running through the halls and causing mischief was forever etched in the walls of the manor. The fond memories far outweighed the bad ones. “I’m glad to see it,” Moira passed by squeezing Oliver’s arm. 

“I actually wanted to talk to you,” he caught her hand in his. “That’s why I waited down here.” Standing, he cleared his throat. “I want to apologize for my behavior since I’ve been back.”

“I know it was a lot for you to take in and maybe I should’ve thought of a better way to let you know about your father and I...”

“No.” Oliver brushed off her apology. He was taking full responsibility for what happened. He was an adult and the way he behaved was the exact opposite. “I do need to apologize. My behavior was childish.” 

It was reminiscent of the way he behaved years ago. Throwing a tantrum when something upset him or didn’t go his way. He was better than that now. He wasn’t that person any more. 

“It’s all on me, I should’ve handled it better. You and Thea didn’t deserve my outburst.” He paused for a moment. “Walter didn’t either, but I want you and Thea to know that I’m sorry.”

“What did those five years do to you,” she asked with a teasing smile. “You’ve never apologized before.”

“I know,” Oliver laughed. “I did some growing. That’s what I was sent over there for, right,” he winked. Pulling Moira into a hug, he kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” She kisses his cheek and wiped away the stain of her lips. “And I’m so happy to have you back home.”

* * *

At Verdant, Oliver was helping Tommy stock up the bar in preparations for the night’s events. They spent the last hour casually talking, catching up with one another just joking and jostling around. Spending time together like they did years ago. 

Tommy began bringing up the club and the ins and outs of the business. Telling Oliver how the day to day process went and what happened behind the scenes that people didn’t get to see. 

“I think you should work with me.”

That was the proposition Tommy presented to Oliver. Now he knew why the conversation had taken such a turn. 

He draped an arm across Oliver’s shoulders pulling him close. “We could be partners,” he continued enthusiastically. “Just like we talked about before life got crazy, you know. Ollie Queen and Tommy Merlyn partners. Starling City wouldn’t know what hit it!”

“I don’t know man,” Oliver said. “You have a great thing going here and bringing me in could potentially hinder that.” Although Oliver had no clear idea as to what he wanted to do now, he wasn’t going to hitch his ride to Tommy’s just for a quick success story. 

“You’re my best friend. There’s no way possible you could be a hindrance,” Tommy argued. “Also, your pops would get off your back,” he offered. 

Oliver had told Tommy that one of his disagreements with Robert was about what he would do since returning home. His father was still holding out hope for Oliver to show up at QC like the prodigal son. Oliver’s heart wasn’t exactly set on that either. As of now, Oliver had no clue as to where he was going.

“I’ll think about it,” Oliver said. 

The door to Verdant opened, both Oliver and Tommy looked to see who was walking in. Felicity stepped inside stopping in her tracks when she saw the two of them. 

“Am I interrupting a bromance moment,” she asked with a grin. 

Tommy sighed lifting his arm off of Oliver and disappeared back behind the bar. He picked up a box tearing it open with the box cutter as Felicity made her way over. 

“Rudely interrupting. Such a Felicity thing to do,” Oliver joked. “Be careful, never know who you could run into these days.”

Rolling her eyes, Felicity momentarily ignored. Turning to him, she saw his eyes still on her awaiting a response. Unable to resist the urge, she had to slip at least one jab in. “It’s just you. And I’m sure you’re not here for anything of importance,” she said. “Oh, and I make sure to actually look up before talking unlike some people.”

Oliver’s teasing smile slowly dropped at the boldness of Felicity’s words. She turned away as quick as she fired the words off at him. Her ponytail bounced before resting in place as he was faced with her backside. She was in workout clothes. A yellow and gray set. The spandex was taut around her hips and her top stopped midway giving a small glimpse of her cream colored skin. 

Clearing his throat, Oliver quickly diverted his eyes. He couldn’t just stare a hole into Felicity with Tommy not even six feet away. Even though he looked away, the image was still in his mind as clear as day. Feeling his throat grow dry, he reached out in front of him desperate for a drink, but was quickly met with the reminder that he had nothing to quench his desperate thirst. He swallowed thickly hoping saliva would do the trick instead. 

Tommy sighed under the intense gaze of his baby sister. He knew exactly why she popped up and he wasn’t exactly in the mood for the conversation. 

“What can I do for you, Felicity,” he asked. 

She crossed her arms clearing her throat. Her tone reminiscent of a scolding mother. “Did you not get my message?” Narrowing her eyes, she awaited his response. She knew he got the text. The days of pretending not to receive a message were long gone. Technology was far more advanced now. 

“You said dad was back in town. I didn’t think I needed to respond to that,” he shrugged. 

Malcolm was back home after spending weeks in Gotham finalizing a partnership with Wayne Enterprises. It was a huge deal to settle because Wayne Enterprises was one of the leading companies with cutting edge technology. A connection Felicity was excited about. The potential was endless.

Tommy sat the box down with a sighing shrug. “Alright. And for how long this time,” he questioned. 

“He didn’t say. There aren’t any pending deals upcoming, so I guess he’ll be here for some time,” she said. She was past the point of irritation now and decided to get to the point of why she really came. “There will be a party at MG to celebrate the partnership and dad wants you there.”

“Oh yeah,” Tommy scoffed. “I should’ve known there was another reason you came. Why couldn’t he extend this lovely invitation to me himself?”

Felicity laughed. “Why? We both know you were just going to ignore him.”

Tommy shrugged. “Can we be done with this conversation? I need to finish getting this place ready for tonight. I know it’s not as luxurious as a high office at MG, but...”

Felicity angrily cut him off. “Tommy please! It’s not fair for you to act like I haven’t supported you with Verdant.”

“What’s not fair is dad using you as a mouth piece to guilt me into coming around more. He’s been doing that since mom died...”

Oliver grimaced in his seat as soon as the words left Tommy’s mouth. He was being respectful of the two trying not to interfere in the conversation, but he took one glance and looked towards Felicity seeing the hurt slowly etch across her face. 

“Tommy, come on.” He looked at his friend with a disapproving shake of his head. Standing from his seat, he stepped between the sparring siblings motioning for a timeout as they both stared at each other with fire coming from their eyes. “The both of you should just take a moment, alright.”

Oliver turned his attention back to Felicity who still had her eyes trained on Tommy. He gently touched her elbow, but she snatched away still focused solely on Tommy.

“You’re an asshole.” And with that, she stormed out of Verdant quicker than she entered. 

As soon as the door shut, Oliver whirled on Tommy, who he stared into the empty box as if it had the answers to what had just happened. 

“Dude, what the hell was that?”

Tommy waved his hand before tossing the box aside in frustration. “Felicity’s such a know it all man...”

”She’s always been that,” Oliver said. Being a smartass know it all wasn’t an excuse for what Tommy said. “But what I’m talking about is that line you threw in about your mother. That was a low blow and you know it.”

“It’s the truth,” he grumbled. Ever since his relationship with Malcolm soured, Felicity became the negotiator between them. It infuriated him and he didn’t know whether to blame himself or his father for it. 

“That’s still not an excuse to say something like that to your sister,” he argued. “Be smarter than that.”

Tommy sighed taking a moment to think about what he said. He knew he went too far, but he couldn’t stop the words. The subject of their father was touchy and it at times brought out the worst in him. And Felicity seemed to catch the brunt of the anger because she always tried to be the mediator. 

“I know,” he nodded in agreement. “I’ll apologize to her.”

“You certainly need to.”

* * *

Oliver watched Thea as she bounced out of the school building. The same building he spent his formative years not taking education serious. He thanked the heavens that Thea was so different from him in that way. Since returning, he learned that she was in the top percentile of her class. She was already researching colleges and trying to carve out who she wanted to be in the world. At just sixteen, she was leaps and bounds more mature than he was at her age. 

Once she noticed him waiting, Thea groaned slowing her walk down. Stopping in front of Oliver, she looked him over with displeasure. “Where’s Rob?” Her driver was very consistent with picking her up and dropping her off. 

“I fired him,” Oliver said. Thea huffed rolling her eyes as he laughed at her growing annoyance at him. “Just kidding. I told him I would pick you up because I want someone on one time with my favorite sister.”

“I’m your only sister,” she said. 

Walking up to her, Oliver slipped his arm around Thea bringing her close enough to kiss the top of her head. “How do we know that? Dad or mom can have a mystery daughter out there and we just don’t know about her yet,” he whispered. 

“You know, I think I’m going to walk home,” she mumbled. 

“Just a joke.” He opened the passenger door for her. “Let’s go.”

Thea tossed her backpack on the backseat and buckled in. “Where are we going,” she asked as Oliver slipped into the driver’s seat. 

“Jitters,” he answered. 

“How do you know about Jitters? That’s not really a place I would consider on your radar.”

“Felicity introduced me to it,” he said as he carefully pulled out of the parking lot avoiding congregating kids. “She sung it’s praises and said teens love to hang out there. I figured you would be a fan.”

Thea reluctantly nodded at Oliver’s correct assumption. “It’s one of my favorite spots,” she said as Oliver smiled. 

“I knew it,” he cheered. “Does that score me any big bro points,” he asked. 

“I guess,” she sighed. “You’re no longer in the negative, but we’ll see how the rest of the day goes before I can truly say.”

Sitting in a Jitters booth by the window, Oliver watched Thea as she dug into her food. She ordered a smoothie bowl, avocado toast and her drink of choice was a weird looking concoction. The food was pretty simple and self-explanatory, but the drink was all around weird from the color to the seeds sitting at the bottom of it.

“Thea, what on earth is that,” Oliver asked her. He couldn’t remember the name she said when she ordered it. 

“Boba tea,” she said as if Oliver was foolish for not knowing what it was. “It’s tea, milk, sugar and pearls.” Thea pushed it toward Oliver. “Try it.” 

Oliver grabbed it and reluctantly took as small of a sip as he could. Pulling his lips away, he shrugged. “I don’t taste anything special,” he said. 

“You’re supposed to eat the seed too,” Thea said. 

“I’m supposed to what?”

“Eat the seed,” she repeated. 

Still confused, Oliver looked at the cup and back at Thea again. “These black things,” he pointed at the cup. Large seeds that looked like they would hatch inside of you if consumed. “I’m not eating that.”

Thea sighed, reaching across the table, she snatched it back from him. “Give me my drink back since you can’t appreciate it in all its glory.” Stirring the straw around, she took another sip before looking at Oliver with an inquisitive stare. “So, is this your way of saying sorry for doing exactly what I told you not to do with mom and Walter?”

“Yes, I am sorry,” he apologized.

“I’m listening. Keep going.”

Oliver laughed because deep down he knew Thea wouldn’t take it easy on him. Now he was going to have to gravel and really get her to see that he was in fact sorry and not just saying the words. After what he saw between Tommy and Felicity today, he knew even more that they needed to talk. He couldn’t have that animosity between them. 

“I’m sorry for ruining the first dinner we had together in years. I’m sorry for not considering your feelings and only thinking of my own,” he continued. “Most of all, I’m sorry for not reaching out to you more while I was away.”

When Thea called him out on his behavior it stuck with him. He was so caught up in his own dilemma that he didn’t think of how it would affect others. That was the selfishness he was working on leaving behind in the past. 

Thea looked at him and he could see her soften a bit at his words. “You’re doing good,” she nodded her approval. 

“I guess I foolishly thought you would be better off not hearing from your screw up of a brother. I didn’t want to negatively influence you in any way.”

“Ollie, I was a kid. Of course I wanted to hear from my big brother. No matter how many times you managed to screw up.” Her shoulders sagged as if she began to think back over that time. “Everything happened so fast. One day you were in trouble and the next, you were more miles away than I could count,” she said. “Then mom and dad started going through with their divorce and even though things were handled maturely between them, it would’ve been a lot better if I had you to talk to.”

“I unfortunately can’t change the past,” he sighed. “But I’m here. I’m back and I’m here, not going anywhere and I want us to be so close that we’re sick of each other.”

“That’s doable,” she laughed. “I really am glad to have you back. You’re whole and don’t seem to have any residual effects from being over there. You’re still mopey and broody, but that’s the way you were before you left,” she said with a grin.

“So, how many points do I have now,” he jokingly asked. “I’ve done a lot of apologizing here lately. I apologized to mom, tried to apologize to Laurel...”

“Yikes,” Thea whispered. She didn’t even want to know how bad that conversation went. “What about Walter?”

Oliver remained silent at the mention of his name. 

“Ollie,” she said narrowing her eyes. “Apologize to him or you’re going back to the negative,” she said firmly. “He didn’t deserve your childish outburst either. He’s a great guy and he’s been a great stepdad. You need to give him a chance.”

Stepdad. Oliver still couldn’t believe he had a stepfather and of all people it was Walter Steele. Wrapping his mind around that fact wasn’t very easy. 

“I will,” he reluctantly said. “I promise I will apologize to him.” 

Thea smiled satisfied. “Good.”

“Alright,” he tried to keep the conversation going. “What’s new in your life? Anything else I need to know about who you’re becoming.”

“I have a boyfriend,” she said. 

Oliver’s smile dropped instantly. He wanted to know anything but that. 

“No.”

“Yes,” Thea said back. “His name is Roy Harper...”

The name was familiar to him. “Roy? That skinny kid who helps out around Verdant?” He wondered why he kept glancing toward him at Verdant with a nervous energy.

“Yes. Did Tommy tell you? I told him not to say anything because I wanted to see that glorious look on your face that you have right now,” she said as she fell into a fit of giggles. 

“No, I saw him briefly at Verdant earlier when I went to see Tommy. I guess him hurrying off explains so much now,” he answered. “How old is he?” If he was working at Verdant, he couldn’t have been sixteen.

“He’s eighteen,” she said. “Only two years older than me. Not a huge difference at all especially considering I’m almost seventeen,” she quickly said when she saw Oliver about to object. “We’ve been together almost a year. He’s very nice and mom even likes him.”

Oliver wanted to ask more questions, but he decided against the third degree for the time being. “Does he make you happy,” he asked instead. 

Thea nodded and he saw the honesty in her eyes. They were lighting up just at the mere mention of the kid’s name. He didn’t want to accept that his baby sister was growing up, but he had to. A change he was going to make peace with as long as this Roy treated her with the respect she deserved.

“Good,” he said sincerely. That was the most important thing for him. Even if he wanted to wrap her in a bubble, keep her by his side and never see her date anyone in her life, her happiness was truly what mattered. “You’re my little sister and I love you more than life. Your happiness means the world to me.”

* * *

Relishing in the cool and fruity taste of her margarita. Felicity sat to the bar inside a restaurant called The Bunker. It was a small little place that was tucked away just enough for Felicity to escape when she wanted to. And today, that was just what she wanted to do.   
  
Letting the alcohol slowly wash over her, she absentmindedly scrolled through her personal emails seeing shopping ads, coupons, recipe ideas from Pinterest that she would surely never try and more junk mail. 

There was an email from Cooper. Swiping quickly, she deleted it without thinking twice. Not in the mood to read whatever he had to say. Whether it was another excuse as to why they needed a break or filling her in on his latest adventure. She couldn’t even begin to care in the moment. 

She picked her drink up sipping it slowly. Her mind wandered back to the interaction she had with Tommy earlier. Another argument between them. It seemed as if that’s all they did now. Argue or constantly go back and forth with one another. They were once so close, but now it seemed as if they were drifting away from each other. 

“For you.”

Felicity looked up from her phone to see the bartender sliding a freshly made drink towards her. Her martini glass in her hand was still fairly full, so she didn’t need another drink at the moment. 

“I didn’t order this,” she dismissed it. 

Nodding towards the other end of the bar, the bartender quickly responded. “I know, but the guy at the end of the bar did.”

Felicity sighed dreading what the drink meant. Usually a guy buying a drink meant he was interested in you and Felicity was in no mood to be propositioned or hit on in the moment. Even if there was a chance the guy wanted just friendly conversation, she wasn’t really up for that either. After the day she had, she wanted to get away for an hour or two and not engage with anyone. 

She was about to tell the bartender he could take it back and let the waiting gentleman know she declined his offer. But when she looked past the few patrons aligned at the bar, she instead saw Oliver looking back at her. 

“You can leave it,” she told the bartender. 

Oliver began to make his way over to her. “Cosmopolitan,” he said. “That’s what I owe you right?”

Nodding, Felicity picked up the drink taking a small sip. Licking her lips, she eventually turned to Oliver facing him. “You know, I come here to be anonymous,” she said. “Not to run into my stalker. Care to explain your presence here?”

Oliver bowed his head with an amused laugh. “I come in peace,” said. “May I sit,” he asked as Felicity nodded. “I promise, no stalking involved,” he continued sitting down. “I was driving around, still familiarizing myself with new parts of the city. I saw this place and thought I would pop in for a look around. Once I saw you sitting here, I figured I would make good on the drink I owed you.”

Oliver asked for a refill on his old fashioned and ordered glasses of water for both him and Felicity. 

“Thanks,” Felicity took the glass of water. “Did you really know it was me or were you trying to charm an unsuspecting woman again that just so happened to be me,” she asked. 

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“Not a chance,” she whispered. 

Oliver took a look around the bar. It was small, tight spaced and probably not even half the size of Verdant. It seemed quiet and quaint, the exact opposite of the loud and erratic Verdant. 

“What brings you here,” Oliver asked Felicity. If she wanted a drink, she could just go to her brother’s bar and get whatever she wanted. 

“The Bunker is close to my apartment. It’s quiet. The people don’t know me and I don’t know any of them,” she said rattling off her reasons. Picking her glass she brought it to her lips pondering her next words. “Also, it’s not Verdant. That’s the biggest reason,” she said lastly before taking a sip. 

There was the most truthful answer. Oliver thought back to the argument he unsuccessfully broke up between Felicity and Tommy. 

“What’s the deal with you and Tommy,” Oliver asked. He first noticed the tension during their lunch. I remember you two being practically stuck to one another. I envied it at one point wishing Thea was older so I could experience that,” he said. “Then I quickly realized how annoying you were and that thought ceased immediately.”

Felicity laughed softly before quieting. Oliver’s words got to her a bit. She and Tommy were the brother and sister duo everyone wanted to be, inseparable growing up. That’s one of the reasons she was always managed to be around Oliver because she was always with her brother. Only when Oliver and Tommy were getting into mischief did she stay behind. 

“We just can’t seem to agree on anything,” Felicity said. “Honestly, Tommy and I have had our issues for some time now.” 

Tommy was the big man on campus now. The number one club owner in town, the overseer of Starling City’s nightlife. He had Verdant and Laurel on his arm. That’s where his focus went. Only a few scraps of his attention was left over for his family now. 

“I don’t want to say Verdant changed him because I’m glad he’s been able to carve a lane for himself and he’s been very successful with it,” she continued. “Most of the issues go back to our father and their tense relationship and some of it is things I would rather not get into right now.”

Oliver watched Felicity as she raked a hand through her hand. He saw her suck in a deep breath and stare off in front of her. He could see the issues weighing on her, but she clearly wasn’t ready to open up about it, any surely not to him, so he wasn’t going to push it. 

“I do appreciate you trying to step in earlier.” It might not have been very successful, but Oliver did try to referee the screaming match. 

“Don’t mention it ,” he said softly. “Sibling relationships can be complicated. You love each other, and sometimes just need a little breather. Speaking from experience since I’m working through things with Thea now. Just today, I had to go and beg for forgiveness.”

“Oh yeah? What did you do?” 

“The first day I got back, I made a huge scene about our parents’ divorce at the dinner table.” He could feel the judgement in Felicity’s glance as she looked at him over the rim of her glass. “I was blindsided,” he said giving himself an excuse. “I didn’t really know how to deal with something of that magnitude. It was like my brain shorted out in a matter of seconds.”

Felicity laughed quietly. “Well if it makes you feel any better, your parents kept it quiet,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot of media attention around it and all involved parties seemed to be very adult about it.”

“Even so, I wasn’t expecting a divorce when I stepped through the doors,” he said. “Can’t help but think...” Oliver cut his words off taking a big gulp of his drink. Wincing a bit, he sat the glass down still quiet. 

“You blame yourself for the divorce?”

Oliver glanced at Felicity wondering how she managed to perfectly read what he was thinking in that moment. Partially he did blame himself. He knew his behavior put a strain on his parents’ marriage. Robert was always harder on him, wanting him to fall in line and be structured. Moira typically gave him the benefit of the doubt even in his worst behavior. The choice to send him away was another thing they clashed over. Robert was the first to agree, while Moira took some convincing. 

“It had to play some part, wouldn’t you think?”

Felicity shrugged not knowing the right answer. “Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. But you can’t spend time dwelling on that. It’s in the past. Your mother and father are both still successfully running a company. Walter is a great guy...”

Oliver scoffed at the mention of Walter’s name from Felicity’s lips. He threw his head back draining his drink. Felicity seemed to be another person under Walter’s charm. “You too? Is there any one that this guy hasn’t charmed,” he threw at her. 

“You apparently,” she exclaimed with a teasing laugh. “I worked under Walter during my internship at QC and he was always nice to me. And very professional, which is a lost art to some guys in high places.”

“That was a working relationship. That’s a lot different than returning home to some other man sharing a bed with your mother.”

The words felt like marbles in his mouth. Here he was 26 years old and he had a step-father. 

“Grow up,” Felicity couldn’t help but to laugh at Oliver’s discomfort. “I’m serious here,” she said despite laughing. “Walter is a really good genuine guy. You would know if you gave him a chance.”

“That’s what Thea said,” he mumbled. 

“Well she’s right. You know, life would be much easier if the older brothers would just listen to their smart and knowledgeable younger sisters.”

“More like know it all pains in the ass.” 

Felicity started to get snippy with Oliver for his remark, but when she looked at him, his face held a smile. A smile that she found herself matching with one of her own. 

Suddenly feeling warm, she glanced away clearing her throat. “But in all seriousness, I don’t think Walter is looking to replace your father. Your mother found happiness with him and that should be the only thing that matters.”

“You make me sound like a hypocrite,” Oliver said. 

Confused, Felicity knitted her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Felicity’s words were eerily reminiscent of what he told Thea about Roy. If she was happy, he was going to support her even if he wasn’t a fan of her having a boyfriend and growing up. 

“I basically told Thea the same thing today in regards to her and her boyfriend.” 

“Sounds to me like you need to take your own advice,” Felicity leaned in with a whisper. 

Oliver turned his face coming dangerously close to Felicity’s. Her eyes bulged and she sat back instantly putting space between them again. 

“So...” Oliver quickly thought of something to switched the mood. “Tommy asked me to work with him today. Offered me a partnership.”

“Oh yeah? That’s not surprising,” Felicity said. “You don’t sound too enthused though. Not looking for a partnership?”

“Working at Verdant would send me right into the world I’ve escaped. If you know what I mean.”

Partying, women, alcohol and the never ending night life. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to dive back into that. He was looking to go the forward not backward. 

“You turned him down?”

“I actually haven’t given him an answer. I told him I would take some time to think it over." No decision had been made, but he was leaning toward no. 

“You want my opinion...”

“I told you about it, didn’t I,” he grinned. “Yes, I would like your opinion.”

Felicity gave her honest opinion. “Tommy is trying to recapture the last five years it seems. It would be a dream come true for you and him to co-own Verdant. However, if your heart isn’t in it, I wouldn’t do it. If you do it just to make him happy, you will be miserable. Find something you can love, build and grow from.”

* * *

“Is there someone special in your life?”

The question shocked Felicity because she wasn’t expecting their conversation to venture towards their personal lives. 

When she hesitated, Oliver laughed. “Do I need to get up,” he asked looking around. “ I don’t want some guy to think I’m moving in on his territory.”

“You’re fine right where you are,” she dismissed his worry. Rolling her eyes, she sat back pondering the question. A question that should’ve had a simple yes or no answer, but Cooper decided to complicate it.

“That bad in that department?”

“Terrible at the moment,” she grimaced. 

Her eyes washed over Oliver and she could see he was waiting on her to elaborate before saying another word. 

“His name is Cooper,” she began. She could see Oliver trying to search his mind for a Cooper. “You don’t know him,” she quickly told him. “I met him in college.” Memories of being helplessly in love to arguing like clockwork fleeted through her mind. “Technically we’re still together, but just on a break.”

Oliver listened as Felicity explained exactly what type of break that meant. This Cooper was off gallivanting while she was back home. “A break,” Oliver repeated. He shook his head with a laugh. “That’s such a cop out.” 

He used the term break more than once when he was with Laurel. He did what he wanted and she stayed back waiting on him to return. Or if Laurel questioned him about something, break was a way for him to slip out of it and not get in trouble. 

“Speaking from experience, huh,” Felicity said. “You think he’s bedding any and every woman he sees while on his excursion.”

“I didn’t say those exact words, but...” Oliver cut his words off when he saw Felicity grow quiet and sullen. His played with the rim of his glass ghosting his fingers against it. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. 

“What are you apologizing for? You’re not the one who left.” Felicity stared straight ahead once more as she felt Oliver’s gaze still on her. “Technically, you did but you didn’t leave me specifically,” she said referencing his time away. 

“Do you still love him?”

Felicity hesitated for a moment. She asked herself that question too. She still cared for him, but love, she wasn’t so sure about that anymore. “I don’t know if I can still love someone who said he didn’t agree with the changes I made in my life.”

“And exactly what didn’t he agree with?”

Felicity waved her hand up and down her body. “The hair, look and career. This version of myself isn’t exactly who I wanted to be when he and I first got together.”

Oliver didn’t know this Cooper guy, but so far he wasn’t a fan. He didn’t know why he was feeling annoyance and rage with every word Felicity spoke about him. 

“If he can’t accept you for you, then he doesn’t deserve you,” he told her and meant it. He wanted to see this guy. See what type of individual he was and why he thought he had a say in how someone decided to live. 

Felicity was surprised at the way Oliver spoke. She couldn’t help but to laugh because the Oliver from before never had anything of the sort to offer before.

“I’m being serious here,” he said despite Felicity’s laughing. “You’ve grown up and made some changes. I don’t seen them as extreme changes and everyone deserves the chance to find their true self without being judged.” 

Saying Felicity had grown up was an understatement, he still had to remind himself not to stare at her. 

“Speaking of being judged,” she said quietly. “Can I ask you something personal?” She wanted to turn the conversation and looking glass to him now. “Why go for your girlfriend’s sister? That’s so wrong and scandalous.”

Oliver motioned for the bartender and asked for a refill. “You just had to go for it?” He would need a lot more than water to explain that situation. 

Felicity shrugged. “I told you about my terrible love life at the moment, it’s only right that you spill the beans now.”

Oliver never told anyone why he decided to go after Sara. There were things that played into his decision. Misguided reasons, but they were there. 

Sighing he took it back to the very beginning of when he began to head in the direction with no point of return. 

“It was right after I was kicked out of school and sent home for the third time,” he began. “One night I was talking to Laure complaining about things, and as usual, she was trying to come up with solutions for my predicament. Her last suggestion was that I move to Boston with her and we get a place together.”

Oliver remembered the exact words that left Laurel’s lips as he held the phone to his ear. 

_“Oliver, we’ve been together since high school. I think it’s a perfect time for us to take the next step. We can move in together and support each other. Get a head-start on our future.”_

Oliver could hear the way she was planning the rest of their lives together and it freaked him out. Yes, they’d been together for a very long time, but the thought of spending every waking second together scared him shitless. He knew moving in with her would only spur her to ask for more. Exclusiveness, engagement and eventually marriage. Despite the length of their relationship, he wasn’t there yet and he honestly didn’t think he would ever be. Oliver grumbled he would think about it and hurried off the phone. 

“Stop.” Felicity held her hand up cutting off Oliver. “Are you seriously about to say you decided to cheat because your girlfriend wanted you to move in with her? Wow,” she exhaled with a laugh. 

Oliver nodded feeling shame cover his cheeks. It was a shameful and embarrassing excuse but it was the truth. “The conversation with Laurel left me freaked,” he continued. “I didn’t actively cheat on her that night, but I began trying to think of ways to get out of it. Then Sara messaged me.”

“And the rest is history,” Felicity said quietly. 

Oliver nodded. A history he was still dealing with today. 

Felicity knew all about Oliver and his womanizing past. It was well known to everyone, never a secret because Oliver couldn’t keep those. He bragged about the women he entertained to Tommy. Felicity would always offer her opinion calling Oliver a self-centered jackass. 

While Oliver’s behavior disgusted her, Felicity could never understand why Laurel just willingly accepted it all. Oliver cheated with random women, girls he had a past with and even girls that would smile in Laurel’s face while secretly waiting to get a taste of Oliver Queen. Felicity never wanted to be that hopelessly in love that you let someone publicly and privately stomp all over your heart.   
  
“You must’ve known you couldn’t come back from cheating with Sara,” she said. “Surely, you weren’t looking to sleep with her sister and continue on like nothing happened.”

“Two reasons I chose Sara,” he began. “One, for so long I was doing whatever I wanted that this it would be just another badge of honor for my transgressions. It was almost like a drug for me. Sara was a temptation and she flirted back.” 

As much as it shamed him to say it, it was because he got a thrill out of it. The thrill of doing whatever he wanted and not being reprimanded. Laurel let him push the boundaries and forgave him at every turn. 

“And another part of me wanted to do something so bad that Laurel would refuse to take me back. I just didn’t see almost killing Sara and blowing up so many lives in the cards.”

That one discretion set off a number of falling dominos. So many people were affected because he didn’t have the courage to end a relationship in the right way. 

“Knowing what you know now. Would you change what you did?”

Oliver tugged at the collar of his shirt. Bringing his drink to his lips, he swallowed half of it with ease. “How many questions are you going to fire off at me,” he asked Felicity. The intense questions were making him sweat. 

“I didn’t return your drink like I usually do to guys, so I think I’m entitled to some questions.”

“If I knew what I know now, I would’ve just broken things off with Laurel,” he honestly answered. “Something that needed to be done a lot prior to that moment. I would’ve told her that even though I cared a great deal for her, we didn’t need to be together.”

Felicity pondered Oliver’s answer, impressed with the maturity of it. “Do you think Laurel would’ve fought you on the breakup?”

“She would’ve,” he answered quickly. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Laurel would’ve argued as to why they needed to be together. He always said she tapped into that lawyer side of her personality in an attempt to wear him down on things. “It would’ve been up to me to be firm though. Not continue that never ending toxic cycle.”

“A mature answer,” she said. “I’m impressed.”

He held his glass up with a smirk. “A lot can change in five years, right?”

* * *

Glancing at her phone, Felicity noticed the time. Only an hour had passed since Oliver joined her, but it seemed as if it was much longer. 

“I should get going,” she said. 

It wasn’t terribly late, but she had work in the morning. Didn’t want to go into the office groggy because Lena would sniff it out as soon as he walked in and questions would follow

Oliver stood up and stepped back giving Felicity space to swing her legs around. 

“You’re okay to drive home,” he asked.

She nodded. She only had two drinks. She knew her limits and since she was driving, she certainly wanted to play it safe. 

Looking to Oliver, thoughts began running through her mind. Never in a million years did she think she would spend time with Oliver and not get the urge to throw herself out of window. 

It was refreshing to just talk to someone new. Someone who didn’t already know all the ins and outs of her life. And it felt good to be there for someone else as well. Offer a listening ear and any advice she could muster. 

“Thanks for tonight,” she told Oliver. Stepping closer to him, she found herself going for a hug. 

Oliver let her initiate the hug. They were both awkward practically ramming into each other on the first attempt. Letting out awkward laughs 

“Let’s try this again,” he joked. Opening his arms, Felicity stepped into them without any awkwardness or tension. She slipped into his arm 

“Thanks for the talk,” she whispered. “I really appreciate it.”

Her lips ghosted his skin and he felt a chill wash over him. Then his eyes closed and he suddenly breathed in her fragrance. 

Stepping back he let his hand linger at the small of her back. “Don’t mention it,” he said. “I’ll see you around.”

Felicity grabbed her purse giving Oliver a small wave goodbye and headed for the exit. 

Oliver turned watching Felicity’s figure until she disappeared into the small crowd. He watched the way her body swayed with each step she took. It was like he was in a trance. 

Felicity finally disappeared around the corner and out the door. And even though she was no longer in his presence, the image of her was still prevalent. She was away from him, but he still could smell her...feel her. 

“Tapping out for the night, my guy?” The bartender asked breaking Oliver out of his hypnosis. 

Turning back to the bar, he caught the bartender’s eye. Bracing his hands atop the bar, he let out a shaky breath. “Actually no,” he said. “I’ll take a shot. A shot of anything.” It didn’t even matter, he just needed something. 

“You got it.” The bartender gave him a knowing laugh as he sat a glass down and started pouring. 

“Thanks.” Before the bartender got the chance to pull her bottle back, Oliver clutched the glass in his hand. He grabbed it so hard, he was almost afraid he would shatter it. Loosening his grip, he brought it to his lips tossing it back. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Merlyn Global event brings many things.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

Standing in front of his mirror, Oliver pulled at the tie around his neck once more. Seriously, how long had it been since he attended a black tie event. He’d been at it for at least 10 minutes and it still wasn’t right. Frustrated, he snatched the tie from around his neck. 

Why was he even going to this event? He usually hated these affairs. The room was always filled with snobs mostly. And when he did go, he would be a recluse or on the prowl searching for a girl to sneak off and have fun with when Laurel wasn’t looking. 

He was going because it was a Merlyn family event. Also, he knew it meant a lot to Felicity and suddenly it seemed as if he cared about her feelings. Her argument with Tommy over was still on his mind, and he figured he would go and show support. 

But back to struggling with the tie, maybe he would go for the no tie look. That look was always in. Plus, he had the ability to pull it off. As he tossed the tie on the bed, a voice called out to him. 

“Need a hand?”

The offer came from Walter. He leaned on the door frame Oliver didn’t know how long he’d been watching him, but obviously long enough to see him struggling. 

In his list of apologies, Oliver still hadn’t mustered up the courage to actually say the words I’m sorry to Walter. He apologized in subtle ways. Verbally speaking when one of them would enter the manor. Actually acknowledging and talking to Walter at the dinner table when he joined them. 

Grabbing the tie up, he accepted the offer and held it out. “I do.” 

“Nice suit,” Walter said as he entered the room. 

“Can’t take the credit for it. Thea picked it out.”

“Ah. Miss Thea and her great eye for fashion.” Walter took the tie slipping it around Oliver’s neck. In a matter of seconds, he was done and gesturing towards the mirror telling Oliver to take a look for himself. “There you go.”

Oliver took a look at himself in the mirror. The tie actually looked like a tie now, not the sorry attempt he was trying to pass off. 

Smoothing his hand over it, he turned to Walter with an appreciative smile. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he replied.

“Hey Walter.” Oliver called him back quickly before changing his mind. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to do and I’m just going to go ahead and say it.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry,” Walter questioned. “For what exactly?”

“For the way I came at you regarding the marriage to my mother,” he said.

“Oh. That’s long forgotten. There’s no need...”

Oliver laughed shaking his head. “Please don’t give me an out because in about two seconds, I’ll take it,” he joked. 

Walter gave him a genuine laugh motioning for Oliver to continue. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“You’re a great guy. I’ve always known you to be one and I was wrong to accuse you of the opposite,” Oliver continued. “Over the last weeks, I’ve gotten to see the way you make my mother happy and not only her, but Thea as well.” 

Coming into a family like the Queens couldn’t have been easy. Especially coming after the debacle he put the family through. It took a special kind of man for that and Walter seemed to be more than up for the challenge. 

Walter stretched his hand out to Oliver. “All is forgiven,” he said firmly. “I know I’m not your father and I’m not looking to replace him, but I want you to know that I’m here for you as well. If there’s ever anything you need from me, whatever it may be, in here for you.”

Oliver took Walter’s hand with an appreciative shake. “Thank you.”

As they released each other, Thea bounced into the room with a twirl showing off her dress for the night. She paused mid spin when she saw Oliver and Walter talking. “Oh! I see you took my advice,” she smiled proudly. “Good! Anyway, mom is downstairs and ready, so we should get going before she starts shrieking.”

“You ready,” Walter asked Oliver. 

Oliver smoothed his tie down once more and nodded. “The tie was the finishing touch I needed.” He nodded towards the door letting Walter know he was following him out. “Lead the way.”

* * *

After the 10-minute photo op session, Felicity went to the restroom to check on her makeup. Smiling for so long and standing under those warm camera lights tended to crack the foundation just a tad. 

It was amazing how she, Malcolm and Tommy could turn it on for the cameras. The world would never know they spent the last few days either arguing or ignoring each other completely. 

Walking to the bar, she needed to a drink to quench her thirst. “I’ll just have just a water, and with a straw please?”

As she waited, she felt a body rush up behind her. Turning around, she saw that it was her brother. He didn’t say anything. His hand was stretched out to her and his famous goofy smile stretched across his face. 

Glancing down to his hand, she looked back up confused. “What are you doing?” The continuous goofy grin only confused her more. 

“It’s a peace offering,” he finally opened his mouth letting actual words out. Opening his hands, he revealed truffles. “You remember, right? I even put them in a box this time, so they wouldn’t melt all over my hand.”

When they were younger and forced to attend work events, they always complained about the unappealing appetizers being served. 

Felicity was too short, so Tommy would go in and sneak the treats for them. They would hide, usually finding a dark area in the ballroom or outside behind the bushes to devour the treats. 

And she loved truffles. Loved them a lot, but they weren’t in any way an adequate apology for the way Tommy behaved. 

“It’s going to take a lot more than chocolate you stole from the kitchen to get me to talk to you,” she dismissed him. 

“Come on Felicity, I’m sorry,” he said. “What do you want me to say?”

“Leading with I’m sorry would’ve been nice for one,” she said. “And if you were really sorry, I wouldn’t have to tell you what to say.” She took the glass of water with a nodding thank you. 

“I am sorry,” Tommy said drawing her attention back to him. “What I said the other day was mean spirited...”

“But that’s the thing Tommy,” she cut him off. “It’s not just the last argument. It’s been all the small arguments here and there recently,” she said. “You know over these last couple of months, it’s like I don’t even know who you are,” she said honestly. “You’re not the same Tommy who risked punishment just to steal me some treats.”

“Felicity...”

“I have to go mingle,” she said. “This may just be another boring function to you, but it means a lot to me and to my work. Excuse me.”

Oliver slid up behind the clearly disappointed Tommy. “Well that could've gone better,” he whispered. 

Tommy tossed the box atop of the countertop shaking his head with a frustrated sigh. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough.” Oliver grabbed the box taking a peek inside. “What is this anyway,” he asked. He answered his on question once he pulled one out. Before he knew it he began to laugh. “You screwed up and you think she’s going to forgive you because you brought her chocolate,” he continued laughing. “Even I know that won’t work.”

“What,” Tommy exclaimed. “You said you took Thea to Jitters to apologize.”

“Thea is 16,” Oliver argued. “And it wasn’t just the Jitters either. I actually apologized and meant it.”

“I did mean it,” Tommy sighed. Felicity's words played over and over in his mind. saying she barely recognized him. how did he let things get so bad?

Oliver spoke again, but this time he wasn’t laughing and was very serious. “Well Felicity didn’t seem to think so. You’re going to have to come up with something a lot better than that,” he said offering his advice. “Take it from the guy who used to excel at terrible apologies and still making apologies today.”

* * *

Sitting to one of the tables in the dining area, Oliver listened to Thea gossip in his ear about the people in the room. It seemed as if the entire town was in attendance for the Merlyn event along with people from QC and Wayne Enterprises. She was filling him in on who was who and what each person did. How she knew the ins and outs of so many people was mind boggling to him. She said she just wanted to make sure he was informed. 

“And there’s Laurel Lance,” she said. “I don’t have to tell you about her because you know her more than anyone,” she quipped. 

Oliver glanced at his sister and rolled his eyes. “You can be such a brat at times.”

“I know,” she said before erupting into a laugh. “I couldn’t help myself.” Her laugh seemed to draw Laurel’s attention and she looked their way before quickly looking off again. 

“Should I go speak,” he asked. 

Thea grabbed her glass of water up sticking the straw in her mouth. “Oh no,” she mumbled. “I’m not answering that. Won’t blame me for anything backfiring.”

“Come on. It’ll be quick.” Before he lost his nerve, he rose from his seat. “I’m going to go speak.”

Thea whispered good luck to him and quickly breezed away as if she didn’t want to be anywhere near the vicinity when he and Laurel talked. 

Clearing his throat, Oliver spoke. “Laurel. Hi.”

She didn’t even turn around as she acknowledged his presence. “What do you want, Oliver?”

“I was just speaking. Trying to be friendly.”

A humorless laugh fell from Laurel’s lips as she turned facing him. “You don’t have friends,” she threw at him. “No,” she pointed with the hand that held her glass. “You don’t have friendships with women unless you want to sleep with them. That’s your way in, right?”

There were women he passed off as just his friends when she asked him about them. Eventually those same friends became more notches on his belt. 

But Oliver wasn’t going to do this. He wasn’t going to make a scene at an event. “This was a mistake,” he whispered. “This isn’t the place to have that conversation.”

He turned to walk off, but Laurel reached out grabbing his arm to stop him.

“You avoid me like the plague, so exactly when do you want to have it?”

“Never,” he turned back to her saying. “If this is how it’s going to be, it’s best to keep avoiding one another. I don’t need this.”

Before he could say anything else, another person he didn’t want to see showed up just in time. 

“Well, look who it is,” he said in a low voice. Oliver could hear the disdain and sheer hate in his voice. “The prodigal son returns home.”

“Mr. Lance,” Oliver acknowledged him quietly. 

Quentin moved in between Laurel and Oliver as if he was protecting her. “Is there a problem here?”

“Not at all, sir.”

“What business do you have with my daughter,” he asked. “If I didn’t know any better I would think you were harassing her. She doesn’t need you sniffing around anymore. She’s doing quite well and has moved on...”

”Dad.”

Quentin paused looking down at Laurel. Oliver took the quiet moment to say a piece. “I assure you that’s not what’s happening here,” he said. 

“Really? Because to me it seems as if you’re doing the same bullshit that you did to her years ago. Except this time, I’m stepping in and will not have it.”

Across the way, Felicity had been watching the exchange play out. The conversation she was in the midst of with co-workers from MG was like background noise as she kept her attention on what was playing out in the middle of the ballroom floor. 

She wouldn’t wish anything like that upon her worst enemy. Your ex and her father, both who currently hate your guts. She felt for Oliver, truly. You could look and see that the conversation was tense, but Felicity could also hear the words as well. The venom being spewed at Oliver from both ends made her grimace. 

Finally having enough, she turned to the two people she was speaking to with an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry, but there is something that needs my attention,” she said. “Excuse me for me a moment.”

With a determined stride across the floor, Felicity quickly made it over to the trio. Quentin was going on a tirade and it seemed as if he wasn’t even stopping to take a breath. His voice was growing louder and louder and soon would be drawing more than just her attention. 

“Captain Lance,” she called his name cutting him off. He turned to her with a questioning gaze. She discreetly stepped in front of Oliver turning all of Quentin’s attention to her. “I’m so glad you had the time to make it tonight. I know the city keeps you busy,” she smiled. “You and your department have done such a fantastic job keeping the city safe.”

“Felicity, it’s good to see. It’s been some time.”

“I know,” she said. “I’ve been so busy hunkering down in my office. You know me,” she said with a forced laugh. Her laugh vanished and she turned serious once more. “I have one tiny little request. If you don’t mind, would you not berate the guests tonight. After all, this is a business event and we have some esteemed people in attendance. Wouldn’t want them to think the people of Starling City just go around lashing out at people, now would we?”

Quentin reluctantly nodded in agreement. “You’re right, I apologize.” 

“There is something else I came over for,” Felicity continued. “Curtis was mentioning the T-Spheres your department has been using and said he has some improvements he was thinking of that he would like to share with you.”

“Really?” Quentin suddenly took an interest and Felicity saw her last minute plan worked. “Where is he?”

“He’s over by the bar,” she said to Quentin as he walked off in that direction. 

She hated to send Quentin to Curtis without forewarning Curtis first, but that was the first thing she could think of that sounded like a plausible excuse to pull Quentin away. But Curtis was Curtis and people knew what to expect from him. He would babble an stumble his way into a plausible conversation. After all, the T-Spheres were his baby and he was always up for a conversation about them. 

Oliver had been quiet during the entire exchange, but he couldn’t help but to smile a bit at the way Felicity breezed in and saved him. She was good. Very good. 

“Nice save,” Laurel mumbled. “So, does he have you defending him now? I distinctly remember you hating his guts,” she said looking back to Oliver. 

“Laurel, you should really stop being so judgmental,” Felicity said it before she could stop herself. 

Considering the big secret she was currently sitting on, there was no room for Laurel to get on a soap box. And Felicity wasn’t telling her to pretend as if everything was okay, just be tactful about things. 

“Also, there’s a proper way to handle things. This is not the place to air out your grievances. This maybe a party, but it’s also an event where my family handles business. I don’t want anything bad to reflect on us.”

Laurel was a smart and well educated woman. Being a lawyer, she had to have tact and resolve. Keep emotions out of the way so they wouldn’t cause the wrong opinion to be projected. Lashing into Oliver tonight was a wrong move. 

Still, she wasn’t ready to admit that Felicity was right. “You only say that because he’s no one to you other than your brother’s best friend,” Laurel responded. “I look at him and see the pain he caused a lot of people.” Really she meant herself. That’s all she could see. 

“I get that, and I get that he hurt you, but double teaming him with your father won’t erase that hurt or the past. And just maybe Oliver’s not that same guy anymore,” she said. “None of us are the same people we were five years ago and we certainly aren’t in the same space. I think you especially know that.”

In five years, Laurel moved on from Oliver and into Tommy’s arms. So, if anyone knew about drastic changes, it should’ve been her. 

Laurel’s eyes widened as she peered at Felicity over the rim of her champagne glass. Sighing, she pulled it away from her lips and gathered her dress in one hand. With a quiet sigh, she walked off. Stopping for a moment, she looked between Felicity and Oliver letting her eyes linger on him at the end. “People like Oliver don’t change,” she said. And with that she walked off. 

Oliver turned and watched Laurel walk away and it seemed as if a trail of fire was left with every step she took. Rubbing his hand across his neck, he turned to Felicity with the urge to almost drop to his knees and thank her. 

Suddenly Malcolm Merlyn appeared before them jovial and excited. 

“Oliver! I heard you were back.” He shook his hand with a strong shake and pulled him into a warm bone crushing hug. “It’s so good to have you back home. I’m glad you decided to come out tonight.”

“Thank you. It’s good to be back,” he smiled. “And I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he said. 

“I hate to interrupt you two, but I’m afraid I need to borrow my daughter for a moment,” he said. “I do apologize.”

Oliver stepped back. “Sure go ahead. We weren’t discussing anything important. I’ll see you later, Felicity.”

Felicity glanced back, but Oliver had already disappeared into the sea of other guests. Turning to her father, she questioned him. “What is it,” she asked. “You seem excited." 

“Because I am and it has to do with you.”

“Me...”

“Lucius Fox is here and he wants to speak with you about your project.”

Felicity’s eyes widened. “Me,” she repeated with a gasp. 

Lucius Fox was highly sought after collaborator in the tech world and if he seemed you worthy enough to have a conversation with, that mean that you were on the right track. Putting the drama that she just interrupted completely out of her mind, she turned on the switch in her brain and slipped right back into business mode. 

* * *

Felicity was ready to go home, scrub her face, hop in a hot shower and drape herself in oversized pajamas before tapping out for the night. 

She had a love/hate relationship with business galas. She loved the awareness and attention they brought to Merlyn Global, but the nights were always long. 

Don’t get her wrong, she loved looking fabulous and getting dolled up, but it took a lot of work to ensure that the look lasted for a couple of hours instead of mere minutes. 

She had to admit the night was a success. Despite the crops of drama creeping up, the event gave her a renewed energy to get back to work and put more ideas down. 

Standing outside, she waited on the valet to return with her car. The cool beeeze whipping through the air made her shiver and she curled into herself bringing her clutch to her chest hoping she could produce some heat. Her thin sheer off the shoulder sleeves did nothing to keep her warm. Merely there for decoration. 

“Sneaking off?”

A bit startled, she turned to see the voice came from Oliver. He was hanging outside resting against the building as if he was on a smoke break. He stepped from out of the darkness and began walking toward her. 

“I thought you left,” she said. She lost sight of Oliver once she helped him escape the Lance clutches. Not thinking much of it, she assumed he went back home and really couldn’t blame him if he had. 

“Here.” With no hesitation, he slipped out of his coat and draped it around her shoulders covering her bare skin. He never quite understood why women didn’t keep coats with them. They always seemed to be cold. “I was going to, but then I decided to stick around for the potential cat fight.”

Her eyebrows knitted until she realized what he finally meant. There would be nothing of that nature between her and Laurel. She said what she felt needed to be said and that was the end of it. 

“Seriously,” she laughed. Grabbing Oliver’s coat lapels, she pulled it closer to her body thankful for the instant warmth it gave her. “No cat fights, sorry to stomp all over your deluded frat boy dreams.”

Oliver laughed quietly. “You’re leaving your namesake event kind of early. Everything alright?” He knew what happened with her and Tommy earlier even if the lovely family photo ops of the Merlyns painted a happy family instead of tension.

Felicity nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Tonight was really great, it’s just that I have an early start at the office tomorrow,” she said. “And considering it takes at least an hour to get back to my normal look before bed. I need to head out earlier than others.”

Oliver let his eyes wander over Felicity as she looked away checking to see if her car was approaching. “You looked nice tonight,” he told her. 

He had noticed her the moment she walked into the ballroom. And he couldn’t help but to glance in her direction throughout the night. The way the gold dress shimmered against her skin. The v cut called out to him along with the off the shoulder look showcasing her shoulders and glistening skin. Not to mention the high split that seemed to be the perfect final touch. 

She swiped a wary curl away from her eyelash smiling at Oliver’s compliment. “Thank you.” The glare of approaching headlights assaulted her eyes and she realized it was her ride. Reluctantly, she dropped her shoulders and let Oliver’s jacket fall from them. She missed the warmth already. “That’s me,” she explained handing it back to him. 

As he took the jacket from her, Felicity realized she'd also been enjoying the scent of Oliver’s cologne. The now waning smell was very nice. She didn’t know what she missed the most, the warmth or the smell. 

The valet hopped out handing her the keys. She whispered a quiet thank you to him before looking back at Oliver. “Hey, thanks for coming out tonight. I know these type of events aren’t really your thing.” 

When they were younger, Oliver tried his best to skip any event his parents had and when he did come, he would usually sulk in the corner the entire night. 

Oliver draped his jacket over his arm slipping his hands in his pants pockets with a shrug. “It was nice. I also got a chance to finally see your business side.” He watched Felicity glide through the ballroom effortlessly slipping in and out of conversations and business discussions. He saw her speaking with the infamous Lucius Fox, and even though he had no business aspirations of that nature, he was quite aware of who that man was.

“These fancy parties are only a small glimpse of that,” she said as she stepped off the curve. “You want to see me in my true element, come to my office. That’s where I really thrive.”

Oliver watched Felicity as she moved away from him remembering that he was supposed to be thanking her for intervening earlier.

“Felicity,” he called her name just before she was about to get in the car. He followed her off the curve stepping closer to her. “I just want to say thank you for what you did with Laurel and Quentin,” he said. 

“Oh. It was no big deal...”

“It was,” he quickly said. “Not many would come to my defense, and rightfully so, but you did. So, I wanted to thank you for the that.” For Felicity to step in to defend him when for so long she hated his guts, it was very much a big deal. “I really appreciate what you said in there too.”

“Any other time, I would’ve loved to see you berated publicly,” she joked. “But things change and people change. You seem to be one of those people,” she said acknowledging the difference she’d seen in Oliver since he returned. “So you’re very much welcome,” she told him sincerely.

“Well.” Oliver grabbed Felicity’s door opening it wider for her. “I’ll let you get home now. Good night.”

“Good night.” Slipping into her driver’s seat, Oliver closed the door for her. With a final wave, Felicity started off down the road.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, Oliver walked onto the 12th floor of Merlyn Global. The directory on the 1st floor told him this was where Felicity was located. 

The first thing that greeted him as he stepped off was a portrait of Felicity. A very large portrait. 

It read Felicity Merlyn. Executive Manager. Applies Sciences. 

It was obviously an older picture because her hair was long. She was perched against stairs donning a navy blue dress. Captivating. That was the best way to describe the picture. 

He must’ve been staring for a while because someone finally asked if he was lost. 

“Sir, can I help you?”

A man behind a desk called out to him   
Gerry Conway. This must’ve been Felicity’s secretary. 

“Hey.” Oliver spoke in an attempt to be friendly, but it was not reciprocated at all. “Alright,” he whispered to himself. “I’m here to see Felicity. Is she in?”

“Do you have an appointment,” he asked. 

“No, but I’m a friend,” he said. He almost laughed at calling Felicity a friend. Words he never thought he would utter, but yet they rolled off his tongue and easily as one two three. 

“I’m sorry, but Miss Merlyn only sees people with appointments,” he effectively shut him down. “Even so called friends.”

“Oliver? Is that you?”

Oliver turned to see Lena step off the elevator approaching him. “What brings you here,” she asked. “Of course you’re here to see Felicity. I don’t even know why I asked,” she whispered to herself. She gave him a playful smile before motioning for him to follow her. “It’s okay Gerry, he’s with me.”

“Thanks.” Oliver couldn’t help but to give the Gerry gatekeeper a vindictive glance as he moved past his desk hurrying behind Lena.

“So, Oliver,” Lena began. “What brings you here today?“

“I uh...” 

Oliver realized he didn’t have a good excuse for why he decided to drop by MG. He was at home not doing anything and his mind kept going back to the night before at the gala. His small talk with Felicity and just her in particular. Before he could talk himself out of it, he hopped in his car and drove to the office building. 

“Taken a sudden interest in Applied Sciences,” she turned and asked him as his words never came out. 

He laughed softly. “No, I just figured I would stop by and see Felicity in her element,” he repeated her words from last night. 

“Is that so?”

“Plus,” he quickly thought of another excuse. “I used to come by here all the time when I was younger. You know with Tommy, and since I haven’t stopped by since I’ve been back, I figured why not.”

Lena nodded along, but Oliver could tell she didn’t believe anything he was saying so he just stopped talking. 

Soon Lena stopped in front of an office door. “This is it,” she told him. “I’ll come back later.” And with a smile she turned and walked in the direction they came from. 

Oliver knocked twice and waited. 

“Come in,” she called out. 

Twisting the knob, he opened the door and saw her sitting behind a broad desk. Her head was down as her eyes bore into stacks of paper. 

She slowly looked up and her eyes widened. She stood with a surprise. “Oliver.” She was expecting it to be Gerry. Or anyone other than Oliver. “Hey, come on in.”

Oliver looked at Felicity as her body came into view. She wore a blue pencil skirt that hugged her hips. A white blouse was tucked into it. he also noticed how tall she stood, so she was certainly wearing heels. “So, this is your famous domain,” he questioned as he entered the office. 

“Yeah, this is it. It looks a bit chaotic right now, but there is a method to my madness,” she laughed. 

“Nice view,” he pointed to the window behind her. 

“One of the perks to this office,” she said. “I hope Gerry didn’t give you a hard time. He’s very strict regarding my calendar.” He was the best assistant she could ask for and he kept her on schedule more often than not. 

“Oh, he definitely did. Lena showed me actually.” 

“Lena.” Great. Felicity should be expecting a questioning text from her very soon.

A bit of awkward silence crept into the office.   
“Nice picture out front,” he said breaking it. “It really shows who’s the boss around here.”

Oliver could see her blush almost as quickly as it went away. His eyes landed on the half eaten bag of Red Vines. “Nice lunch.”

“The sugar helps me work,” she joked. “So, what brings you by? I wasn’t expecting you. If I’d know, I would’ve straightened up.“ She motioned across her junky desk. “I do want to add the disclaimer that my office isn’t always like this. I was just working on something.“

“Since you’re busy, I won’t take up too much of your time. I wanted to know what you’re doing tonight.”

“Tonight?” She hadn’t made any plans are thought that far out yet. 

“Yeah. I was thinking of stopping by The Bunker. Wanted to extend the invitation to you if you’re interested?”

“Me?”

Oliver nodded. “I want to buy you a thank you drink for stepping in last night.”

Felicity crossed her arms across her chest looking Oliver up and down. “But you already said thank you,” she said with a grin. She could see him grow a bit flustered and she took joy in giving him a hard time. “Don't you remember?”

“Think of it as an extended thank you.”

Felicity did enjoy their time at The Bunker, and after a hectic workday, she could use the time to relax over some innocent drinks. 

“Here.” She snatched up a business card reaching it to Oliver. “That’s my number. Save it. I’ll call you when I leave work.”

“But you don’t have mine."

“Don't worry. I can find it,” she said confidently. 

Oliver read the card over dangling it between his fingers. “Sounds good. See you tonight.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation with Laurel leaves Oliver confused. Felicity and Oliver spend time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! I didn't think an update would take so long, but you can never quite predict life. Here is a chapter that is my favorite so far, and I think you will really like it! Happy reading!

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

Oliver received the call from Felicity that she was leaving work in less than thirty minutes. He laughed to himself at her finding his number. He certainly remembered her foray into the hacking world and he made a mental note to poke fun at her about it.

Having already showered before the call, all he had to do was find something wear. As usual, he went with what he normally wore. Jeans, a Henley, boots and leather jacket.

Sitting on the bed, he slipped into his boots. He didn’t hear Thea open the door slipping into his room.

“Are you really about to go out with her?”

Oliver stilled looking up to see his sister in the doorway, arms crossed with a very disappointed look etched across her face. Her voice clearly showed that she was disapproving of him going out, but what could Felicity do to her to make her voice hold so much venom. And furthermore, how could she know he was meeting Felicity?

“What are you talking about,” he cautiously asked.

“Laurel.” She said pointing her eyes. “She’s downstairs.

That made much more sense. She was thinking of Laurel and not Felicity. Bullet sort of dodged at the moment. Now he had to see what Laurel wanted and how to get rid of her. He had no intention of arguing tonight.

“What?” He shook his head. “No, I’m not going out with her,” he said.

“Oh.” Thea straightened up as every ounce of disapproval dropped from her. “She wants to see you. Why?”

Oliver grabbed his watch slipping it around his wrist fastening it. He shrugged answering Thea’s question.

“Well who are you going out with,” she asked next. Because clearly he was ready for a night out on the town.

“No one.” He answered. Lastly, he grabbed his keys and wallet. Moving past Thea, he slipped his wallet into his back pocket making sure it was secure. Stopping, he whispered in her ear. “Don’t follow me downstairs.” Kissing her cheek, he smiled as she rolled her eyes. “Love you.”

Reluctantly bouncing down the stairs, he saw Laurel standing there expectantly.

When she turned to face him, her face held a shadow of a smile as if she was remembering memories of their past. “It’s been a quite some time since I’ve stepped foot in here,” she said.

The smile quickly faded away as she took notice of Oliver’s attire and saw the keys in his hand. “Is this a bad time,” Laurel asked.

Yes. It was a terrible time. He was just about to head out the door, but now he had to prepare himself for this conversation. A conversation he didn’t want to have.

“I can spare a couple of minutes” he reluctantly said. “What can I do for you?”

“I was actually coming to see if you and I could talk. Maybe grab something to eat or drink...”

Was she actually inviting him out. After the way their conversation went last night, a talk was the last thing the two of them would engage in. He was still under the impression that she hated the ground he walked on. Or so he thought.

“You’re giving me whiplash,” he sighed. “I mean you’ve practically said you want nothing to do with me, but now you invite me out. I’m a bit confused and...”

“I know,” she said. “I know what I said last night, but what Felicity said has sort on stayed on my mind,” she said speaking over him. “I shouldn’t have lashed out to you at the event last night. That wasn’t the place.” She stepped closer to him. “Which is why I figured it would be best if we talked alone in a more private setting.”

Oliver immediately stepped like it was a natural reflex. “You would rather lash out at me in private?” Because that’s exactly what would happen. The conversation would never reach a point where they could talk like adults. She would lash out and he would be elected to sit there and take it.

“Oliver, I’m trying to extend an olive branch here,” she said. “It took a lot for me to put my pride aside and come over here. You think this is easy for me?”

“I get that,” he said. “And while it makes sense for us to hash things out, I think after the blowup yesterday, we just need to steer clear of each other. Especially right now,” he said. Tensions were still very high between them and a conversation would do more harm than good. “The back and forth between us, it’s not good for either of us. I feel that it’s best if we leave that and us in the past.”

“You’re right,” she reluctantly sighed. “Let’s just forget it and move forward.”

Whenever a woman said forget it, Oliver knew they meant exactly the opposite. “Laurel...”

Laurel stepped to Oliver throwing her arms around him in a hug. He stood still for a moment not sure what was happening. She could go for a hug or attempt to break his neck.

Pulling back slightly, Laurel pushed herself up kissing Oliver’s lips. “Take care,” she whispered.

Oliver didn’t reciprocate the kiss. It was unexpected and over before he could really react to her. It was a quick kiss. A little more than a peck.

Before he could say anything, Laurel was already heading for the door and out the manor. Oliver stood there more confused than he was seconds ago. Things with him and Laurel would never make sense, and he certainly wasn’t going to try to make sense of it tonight. His mind was elsewhere.

* * *

Sitting to a corner table this time in The Bunker, Oliver sipped on a beer as he awaited Felicity’s arrival. The bar was a lot busier than usual. More people shuffling in and out. Migrating to the makeshift dance floor or standing around chatting. 

He sat back quietly watching the scenes play out in front of him. As he sat, his mind was still swarming from the whirlwind that was Laurel. Usually he knew what she was attempting to do, but this time he was just flat out confused. 

“You need some company? That drink looks very lonely.”

Standing above him was a dark haired older woman. Her voice came out like a sultry purr and she tossed her hair over her shoulder as she leaned down giving him bedroom eyes. He smiled a bit flattered that he could garner her attention. Her hand rested on the table and the other on her hip with a flirty smile as she winked down at him. She was very pretty and had long flowing hair. He wasn’t interested though. 

Oliver gave her a polite smile preparing to let her down. “I’m actually here to meet someone,” he said. 

“Humph.” She straightened up placing both hands on her hips this time. She pouted her lips showing her disproval. “She’s a lucky woman then,” she said before walking off taking his rejection in stride. 

He settled back in his taking another sip of his beer. He was starting to feel antsy waiting on Felicity’s arrival. Flipping his phone over, he looked to see if she texted or called. There was only a message from Thea. Nothing of importance, only sharing a funny meme with him. Laughing at it, he started writing out a reply to her. 

“Wow. I was a few minutes late and already some other woman has captured your attention.” 

Oliver glanced up to see Felicity was now standing over him. Certainly she wasn’t talking about woman who’s advance he quickly rebuffed. She wasn’t even in the bar when that happened. Confused for a moment, Oliver slowly followed Felicity’s line of sight to the extra drink at the table. Shaking his head with a laugh, he pushed the chair out with his foot. 

“I went ahead and ordered for you,” he told her. “No other woman, I promise.”

She took a seat with a smile. “Thank you.” 

She would’ve gotten there a lot sooner, but she went home to change after work and her Uber drive was an older guy and he drove extremely slow. 

Picking up the cosmopolitan, Felicity took a generous sip savoring the flavor. Closing her eyes she welcomed the way the drink wash over her and she could already feel a bit of the tension rolling off of her. 

“You alright,” Oliver asked noticing the tenseness. 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “It was kind of a hectic work day today. So this drink is right on time for me.”

“You haven’t told me exactly what it is that you do. It seemed sort of intense when I walked in.”

“Well as you already know, I work for Applied Sciences. When I started there, I knew I wanted to find a way to combine my work with what my mother did.” 

Her mother was a physical therapist and she worked particularly with people recovering from injuries caused by car accidents. 

“I’m working on a bio-stimulant that would help people suffering from paralysis caused by an injury or from an accident. Help them get part of their life back if I can,” she said. “Years of work and I really think I’m almost at the finish line. 

“Is that why you were excited to talk to the guy from Wayne Enterprises. Lucius Fox?”

She nodded shocked and impressed that Oliver actually took notice of that. “Yes, they’re interested in a potential collaboration.”

“Wow,” Oliver exhaled. His mind was blown. This was Felicity, the girl that he enjoyed pissing off and the girl he teased endlessly. The girl who gave it back to him each and every time. She was now a woman embarking on great almost unimaginable things. “That’s impressive.”

“I’ve been working at for a long time and I’m finally approaching the final stages of it, so that’s why it’s a little more intense for me.”

“I’m sure you’re headed in the right direction. And I’m also sure everyone there has faith in you.”

“My father does, but he’s not the only one who has an opinion,” she said. “I have to impress board members, and get them to see that I really belong and not just because my daddy owns the company.”

“They’ll see it,” Oliver said. 

“Tell that to Mr. Dennis,” she mumbled. He was on the board of directors and the most important one. Felicity always felt that he was very skeptical of her abilities despite her glowing resume. She had every intention of proving him wrong. 

Oliver noticed the way Felicity smiled and her eyes lit up as she talked about her project. 

“You look happy when you discuss your work,” he said. “You must really love it.”

“I do,” she answered honestly. “I really do and I feel like I can really make an impact. If all goes well, I can help someone live a better life.”

Felicity noticed the way Oliver quieted and got this distant look in his eyes. 

“You’re still not sure about what you want?” She remembered Tommy offering a stake in Verdant to Oliver. “You officially turned Tommy down in regards to Verdant?”

“I did. Tommy didn’t tell you?”

Felicity shook her head. 

“Still not talking,” Oliver asked. 

“He and I will talk eventually. I think it’s just best we take a minute to breath, you know.” She heard his apology at the gala and he even texted her, but she just wasn’t ready. His words hurt her and she needed a little more time. “Anyway, so you really turned it down. How did Tommy take it?”

“I could tell he was a little hurt by it,” Oliver said. It was something that he really wanted Oliver to be a part of and despite Tommy making it sound like a once in a lifetime opportunity, Oliver just couldn’t accept. He wasn’t going to take the easy way out. “He said he understood my reasoning’s.”

“Which are,” Felicity inquired. 

“My heart wasn’t in it, you know. I want to find something that I’ll love. If I just hop on the easiest and quickest train, I may as well go to QC.” His father would certainly love that. Crossing his arm, he leaned onto the table with his elbows. “I don’t want to continue latching on or doing things the easy way like I used to. I want something real and substantial.”

Felicity reached out placing her hand atop of Oliver’s bicep. “It’ll come to you. Don’t rush it,” she said giving his arm a slight squeeze. 

Oliver glanced down at Felicity’s hand on him. Her touch was just as comforting as her words, maybe more.

“How do you have it so together,” Oliver asked. “I mean you’re younger and you’re already well into making an impact. I’m way behind the curve.”

“Oh, it wasn’t easy,” Felicity objected. 

She pulled her hand away and Oliver immediately missed her touch. 

“If you remember I wanted to be a hacker. I wanted to take on evil corporations and be some sort of tech vigilante,” she continued with a laugh. She thought of the time when she was so anti corporations. “After my mom died, a lot of my angst was fueled by mourning her passing,” she continued. She was only 13 at the time of her death. That combined with teenage hormones spelled disaster. “As I got older, I became wiser and I realized there were better ways to help people. It didn’t happen all at once and you shouldn’t expect it to. The pieces will fall into place for you.”

“Your father has to be proud,” Oliver said. “Having his baby girl continue to carry the family’s legacy.”

“Tommy wasn’t going to do it,” she shrugged. She remembered when Tommy worked at MG. He was miserable and he hated it. The tension could be felt throughout the entire building. “Being there only fueled the battles between him and Malcolm. Eventually Tommy quit and by that time, I was ready.”

“It’s usually on the boys to continue the legacy,” Oliver said. “People forget that the girls are just as capable. In Tommy’s and my cases, more than capable.” He didn’t know exactly what Thea would end up doing, but he had more than enough confidence in her that it would be wonderful. 

Felicity looked at Oliver with a smile. “Oliver Queen, an advocate for women’s rights,” she teased. “Maybe that’s your career,” she joked.

Oliver laughed deeply. “Alright. Knock it off,” he laughed. He looked at Felicity’s empty glass and his empty beer bottle. “Refill? All of the drinks are on me tonight remember.”

“Sure.” Felicity quickly agreed. “I’m going to head to the ladies room.”

As Felicity walked off Oliver made his way to the bar. The bartender from the other night recognized Oliver as he approached. He gave him a small head nod with an inquisitive smile. “Another round,” he asked. 

“Yes,” Oliver nodded. 

* * *

Felicity tried to suppress a yarn, but it slipped out anyway. She wasn’t even tired, but it had been a long day, so a yawn was natural. Her and Oliver sat and talked over drinks for what felt like hours. Easily slipping into topic after topic. 

“Alright,” he stood. “Night’s over since i'm obviously boring you.” He extended his hand to her. “Walk you to your car,” he offered. 

Felicity took his hand rising to her feet. “I didn’t drive here tonight,” she said. “I used Uber, so I’m just going to call another one.”

Oliver looked at his watch seeing the time and shook his head. It was late and he couldn’t let Felicity get into a car with a complete stranger. His conscience would eat away at him. 

He shook his head. “I invited you out tonight, so I’ll give you a ride,” he said. “I insist.” He motioned towards the exit not taking no for an answer. “Let’s go.”

Felicity gave in following Oliver out of the bar. “I’m not too far from here, so you won’t be going out of your way,” she said. 

“It’s no problem,” Oliver assured her. He led them both across the parking lot where he’d parked far off. It was a new Maserati, he wanted to avoid scratches on it if he could.

Across the street from the bar, Oliver noticed it full of people and they were all standing near a truck. 

“What’s that,” he asked, pointing. 

“A food truck.” Felicity noticed Oliver had stop in hi tracks and was staring. “You’ve never seen a food truck?”

“Can’t say I have,” he said. 

“I don’t know if I should be appalled or feel sad for you,” Felicity said. “They’ve recently made a huge resurgence and I can honestly say they’re here to stay. Perching outside of a bar or club drums up a lot of business for them. Drunk people need food,” she said explained. 

“Interesting,” Oliver said quietly. “And what’s this one?”

“Big Belly Burger,” Felicity answered. “The best burgers in town,” she declared. She looked at Oliver as he took the truck in. “Gosh, how much did you really miss over there,” she murmured. Felicity reached back grabbing Oliver’s hand and pulled him behind her. “Come on. We are rectifying this right now,” she said. Going home would have to wait for now. 

“Weren’t you just yawning,” Oliver asked. 

“Doesn’t matter,” she quickly said. “This is more important.”

“Alright.” Oliver laughed as Felicity dragged him along as if his body held no weight. The burgers really must’ve been the best in town. “I’m in. We can eat in my car.”

Felicity expertly ordered food for the both of them. Two big belly busters, large Cokes and a fry to share. When Oliver objected, she was adamant that the fries would be large enough for them both. 

Inside Oliver’s car, Felicity took a look around admiring the cleanliness and fresh smell. Oliver saw her surveying the place. 

“What? You thought I would be a slob or something?”

Felicity shrugged. “You used to be.” She remembered very vividly a junky room with clothes strewn around. And a car that seemed as if he lived out of it. No time to clean when you’re too busy chasing short skirts. 

Oliver took the fries. The massively large carton of fries and sat them on the armrest between him and Felicity. 

“Well the first thing you learn in any branch of service is to keep your space clean or else.”

Felicity unwrapped her belly buster taking a loving look at the burger in her hands. “This is so not on my diet,” she whispered aloud.

But she didn’t care. She took a bite of the burger closing her eyes and inhaling the greasy messy deliciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Oliver staring at her. 

“What,” she mumbled with a mouthful. 

Oliver unwrapped his burger. “And what exactly is on your diet,” he asked. “Because I saw a lot of sugary snacks on your desk earlier.”

“Well aren’t you observant,” she joked. “It’s not really a diet,” she clarified. “I started changing things recently. Eating a little better. Working out a little...lot more.”

“Really? You look fine,” he said with ease. He couldn’t see a single flaw when he looked at Felicity. And her body was absolutely amazing. He knew so many other women who would kill to have a shape like hers. “Why the change?”

Felicity quickly explained the charity run she was participating in later in the year. “It’s on me to bring it home for MG this year. I can’t let QC be the victor two years in a row.”

“You shouldn’t have much work to do.”

“Say that to my body a couple of months ago,” she said as if she read his mind thinking of her body. “I took my first practice run with Curtis just to see where I was at physically and practically died. He had to scrap me up off of the concrete.”

“You do know that food can be healthy and still enjoyable,” Oliver added. “It just depends on how you cook it.”

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him with skepticism. “You sound as if you’re knowledgeable? You cook?” 

He nodded. He did cook. Although, he really hadn’t spent much time in the kitchen since returning home. No need to when Raisa handled everything. But he enjoyed cooking. It was relaxing and it felt good to make something with his hands that could in turn make others happy. 

“Had to eat healthy while training,” he said. “We had a chef on board. A guy from Russia by the name of Anatoly,” he continued. “In my spare time, I would hang around him listening to his tales about his eventful and very interesting life. He started giving me tips and pointers about the kitchen. Soon, I became pretty good at it.”

“Cooking is a great skill to have,” Felicity said. It was certainly one she didn’t have. “Because me in the kitchen.” She shook her head profusely. “That’s a negative. I stick to takeout for a reason. Maybe I should’ve joined the Coast Guard,” she joked. “Maybe I could’ve picked up some tips.”

“Oh, it wasn’t always so good,” Oliver quickly added. “It might’ve been the less dangerous and least active option of the services, but my commanding officer certainly didn’t get the memo. He was a hard ass and he stayed on top of me.”

“Really,” Felicity grimaced. “Was he one of those yell in your face types and call you boy every second of the minute?” 

Oliver could only laugh at Felicity’s question and the adorable way that she was very serious when she asked it. “You watch too many movies,” he laughed. 

“Sorry,” she shrugged. “I don’t know much about it other than it seems scary and the guy in charge is always the scariest.”

“Well he wasn’t like that,” Oliver continued. “I can’t remember him ever really yelling,” he said. “He was active duty for years until an injury and then he took on a leadership role. He was scary and firm in a different way. He took a particular interest in me and I came to view him like a father figure, someone I didn’t want to disappoint.”

Felicity grabbed two fries biting them in half as she listened to Oliver. “What‘s his name? Do the two of you still keep in touch?”

“John Diggle. And we talk from time to time. He helped me a lot, so I’ll always appreciate him.”

“Wow,” she exhaled. “Those five years really did a number on you. You cook and clean now. You would make someone a great househusband,” she joked. 

“So, what charity are you running in honor of?”

“The Boys and Girls Club of Starling,” she answered. “I know it’s a generic choice, but it was one my mother kept close to her heart, so...”

“You want to win it for her,” he said finishing her thought. 

Felicity nodded. “This year will be 10 years since she passed away, so it’ll be a little more special.”

“10 years.” Oliver exhaled. He remembered it well. It was such a shock and the entire city felt it. The Merlyn family was rocked and even though time passed, none of them really ever got over the hurt of Rebecca Donna Merlyn passing.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t get any easier,” Oliver offered. “But I’m sure if she was here, she would be proud of you.”

Felicity bowed her head feeling the threat of emotions that always came when talking about her mother in great lengths. Talking about her mother briefly in the bar and at a more extended length now slowly began to open the tear ducts and her mind began spinning with more thoughts of her. 

The weight of the 10 years began to hit her. That was a lot of seconds, minutes, hours and days without her mother. Without seeing her face, feeling her warm hugs, eating her freshly baked cookies. Years of nothing. Just emptiness. 

“After so many years, I’m afraid I will forget what she sounds like.” Her voice broke as her lips trembled and she felt her throat become heavy. “It’s like her voice grows more and more distant each year.”

Oliver didn’t realize what he was doing. It was almost like a reflex. He lifted his hand up placing it against Felicity’s cheek. He swiped his thumb against her warm skin collecting the tear that slipped from her eye. 

“She’ll always be a part of you,” he said softly as his thumb brushed back and forth gently. “You’ll never be able to forget her because she lives in you.”

“Sorry,” she sniffed. “I don’t know what just happened...” 

She slightly pulled away, but Oliver’s hand stayed in place cradling her face. His eyes held a comforting warmth and sincerity in those blue orbits. In this moment, she could see why so many girls fell underneath his spell. The eyes were deadly. 

“You don’t have to apologize,” he quickly said. He swiped her thumb across her cheek with a comforting smile. “I haven’t always been known to be the most emotionally available guy, but I think I’ve evolved enough to wipe some tears,” he smiled. “And there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she’s proud of you. From what I’ve learned about you today, I know she’s up there smiling as she looks down on you.”

She never talked about her mother’s death. It was still a sore subject even now after so many years passed. Having her mother suddenly ripped away from her in the form of murder wasn’t easy. She often wondered if her death had been natural, an illness maybe, would she have made better peace with it. 

Even when she was with Cooper, she never discussed what happened or brought it up. He knew just enough. Her mother was murdered by a mugger leaving her treatment facility one night. The murderer was still serving time in prison where he belonged. 

Oliver knew more of the intimate details. He was there. When the news broke, he came to be a comfort for Tommy and by extension her. He saw her cry until she could barely breath. He was there through it all. Maybe that’s why she was suddenly so comfortable sitting in his car baring her soul to him in a parking lot.

“Thank you,” she smiled and Oliver finally pulled his have away. Tapping at her eyes with a napkin, she left out a derp exhale. “This is way too heavy. Change the subject. We need to talk about something else,” she told Oliver. 

“Alright.” He tried to take his brain to quickly think of something that would take Felicity’s mind completely off of her mother. He didn’t have to think long, because what he was about to say happened not long ago. “Laurel kissed me.”

Felicity paused as if she was frozen in time. She looked to Oliver and he nodded emphasizing that his words were indeed true. 

“Well that’s certainly a change of conversation,” she whispered before popping a fry in her mouth. “When?”

“Tonight. Right before I came to meet you.” 

Oliver told Felicity about the conversation and everything that led up to the kiss and her walking out the door. 

“Kissed me and left out of the door as if nothing happened,” he said. “I feel like she’s trying to play some sort of Jedi mind trick on me.”

Raising an eyebrow, Felicity took a slight detour in the conversation. “What do you know about Star Wars,” she asked with skepticism. 

“Come on,” Oliver scoffed. “Everyone knows about Star Wars. You’re not the only fan of them.” It was actually one of his favorite movie franchises. He just never talked about it much because no one would watch them with him. “But back to the topic at hand, I feel like that is what she’s doing.”

“Probably.” Felicity began to laugh. Laurel was one of those people where you never quite knew what she was thinking and it was a skill that fared well for her career as a lawyer. 

“I’m being serious here,” Oliver said. 

“I am too,” Felicity continued. “Look it’s Laurel, she’s...” Felicity’s words trailed off as she tried to find the best way to summarize what she was trying to say. “You want my honest opinion?”

Oliver nodded. 

“I think she misses the drama you brought to her life,” Felicity began. “Because for so long you were a constant in her life. Good or bad, you were a part of it and now that you’re back, I think it’s her instinct to expect that to continue. Even if it wasn’t exactly the healthiest thing for either of you.”

That was the short answer of her thoughts. And even if Laurel was supposedly happy with Tommy, Oliver showing back up seemed to have sent her brain into a tailspin. Also, kissing Oliver while going back to Tommy screamed drama. But Tommy told Felicity to stay out of it and that’s exactly what she planned to continue doing. 

Oliver shrugged. “That makes sense I guess. I don’t know. I just know I’m not looking to continue that.” 

Reaching for a fry Oliver’s hand came away with nothing but air. Looking down he saw it was empty and Felicity stuffed what appeared to be the last one in her mouth. “I thought you said these fries were for us to share,” he said. 

“You were eating them too slow,” she mumbled in her defense. "Snooze, you lose."

* * *

It was almost 2 am by the time Felicity climbed out of Oliver’s car outside her apartment building. Time seemed to have just flown by without either of them realizing it.

“Well this me.”

Felicity stepped up off the curve in front of her building as Oliver followed behind her. In the car, Oliver offered to walk her up to her room, but she declined saying she was a big girl. Now she was regretting turning down the offer. 

Stopping at the stoop, she turned to Oliver as his eyes continued to watch her. It seemed as if he was waiting on her cues to make his next move. Resting back against the brick wall, she sighed looking up at the dark sky. Oliver stepped closer to her until he was right on her. He was so close she could smell him. It was the same smell that engulfed her the night before when he draped his coat around her shoulders. The smell she caught whiffs of tonight while being with him. 

“Thank you for tonight,” she finally said. “I really needed it.” 

A night to unwind, relax and not think about work was much needed. And it was different from a night with Lena or Curtis. She enjoyed them and they were her closest friends, but this time with Oliver felt different. It made her feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Something she was a bit afraid to admit that she felt. 

Oliver braced his hand off to the side of her head against the building. He saw the way Felicity sucked in a breath as he leaned down towards her. He watched the way her chest rose and fell as she let it out. 

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “I had a good time as well,” he said. 

He was talking so low, you almost had to strain yourself to hear him. But Felicity kept her eyes on his lips and read every word. Those weren’t the only words she heard either. His eyes spoke every quiet word loudly and she was listening loud and clear. 

Felicity pushed herself off the wall and with one stepped pressed her body into Oliver’s. On instinct, Oliver’s hand fell from the wall and gravitated towards the hips he so desperately wanted to grab ahold of since the first day he saw her in that restaurant. He stared in her eyes as she looked up at him, mouth slightly agape. And then she licked her lips. 

Felicity placed her hand on Oliver’s shoulder as if she was bracing herself just as Oliver surged forward kissing her. 

Oliver tentatively brushed his tongue across Felicity’s bottom lip. Parting her lips, she allowed him the small inch of space needed and he slipped his tongue in. 

His free hand wrapped all around her waist and he pulled her fully against her. Their bodies were pressed together kissing harder and harder with each passing second. Their noses brushed against each other as their heads moved simultaneously devouring one another. 

Felicity took ahold of Oliver’s face deepening the kiss. The light touches of Oliver’s fingertips against her skin made a quiet, but thrilled sigh slip from her throat. 

Suddenly a group of loud bustling teens spilled out of the apartment building forcing them apart. They pulled away from each other as the group of girls innocently passed by not sparing a glance at them. But the vanishing loudness brought them back to reality and it was probably best for them not to make-out outside Felicity’s apartment building. 

Felicity cleared her throat unsure of what to say next. Oliver could see that she was searching for the words, so he said what he thought she was thinking.

“I should go.” He said the exact opposite of what he was feeling. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave at all. But she hadn’t said for him to stay, so there was nothing else he could do.

“Yeah,” Felicity muttered. “I got a...” Her complete sentence words never made it out of her mouth. Her mind was muddled and cloudy. Whatever she was going to say was going to be an excuse anyway. She wasn’t going into work until late, so she didn’t have an early morning start ahead of her. 

Oliver quietly nodded in return and began stepping backwards keeping his eyes on her. 

He barely took three steps back before she called back out to him. Felicity didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want the night to end and after a kiss like that she couldn’t go inside her apartment and pretend nothing happened. This...whatever is was between her and Oliver had been brewing for some time now. 

“You want to come up,” she blurted out to him. “We can continue our talk.”

“Talk,” he repeated with a raised eyebrow. She looked back at him with that devilish smile she’d given him all night. That smirk was all it took for him. 

The way she meticulously toyed with him excited him and a very important part of him. Oliver knew the implications of going upstairs with Felicity. A lot more than talking would happen between the two of them. And he wanted it. He was finally admitting it. He was attracted to her. He wanted her. The look in Felicity’s eyes let him know she felt the same. 

“Yeah. I would like that.” 

Pulling her purse from her shoulder, she dug through it finding her keys at the bottom of it. Grabbing a hold of Oliver’s hand in hers, Felicity turned on her hells pulling him behind her. 

Oliver felt like he was moving on clouds as he followed Felicity up to her place. On the elevator ride up, he slid up closely behind her. He didn’t press up against her, but he stood close enough to her so that she could feel his heat. Close enough that each breath he took lightly swayed the hair at her shoulders. 

“This is it.” She stopped outside her door, slipping her key in. She pushed it opened for Oliver to walk through first. “Wait.” She grabbed his arm pulling him back before he could take a second step inside. “Take your shoes off.”

Oliver was still trying to get his brain to rewire itself. He could only focus on Felicity’s hands that in a matter of seconds migrated to his chest. The softness of her palms pressing firmly against him. He couldn’t help but to wonder how her hands would feel with no barriers between them. Skin to skin. 

“What?” He managed. His voice came out quiet and he blinked trying to focus. “What did you say?” 

Laughing at the affect that she had on him, Felicity pulled her hands away bending down to slip off her heels. She sat them against the wall and motioned for Oliver to do the same. 

“Take off your shoes,” she repeated. “I have a thing about wearing shoes in my place.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yes,” she laughed. “Do you not realize how many germs you collect just from walking around? Not to mention the dirt and germs get trapped inside your carpet and it’s just icky.”

“Alright.” He kicked his shoes off propping them next to Felicity’s. “Your place, your rules.”

Felicity moves inside as Oliver closed and locked the door behind him. 

Turning, she waved her hands around her place. “So, this is my place. Give yourself a tour, I’ll be back in a quick second,” she said before disappearing into the bathroom.

Oliver looked around as he moved further into Felicity’s place. There was the kitchen, living room, a guest bedroom tucked away in the back. It seemed to be the typical apartment, but he immediately saw the Felicity flair of it. 

On her mantle were a lot of pictures. She saw her and Lena hugging one another. Her and Tommy had a collage of pictures ranging from of when they were kids to adulthood. Her and Malcolm on what looked to be her first day at MG. Then finally he saw Rebecca in the center of it all and he smiled. 

Continuing to look, he noticed a lot of different flowers and potted plants. Real plants too, not the fake ones solely for decor. He looked up to see Felicity entering. “A bit of a green thumb,” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “Growing and taking care of plants is quite fun and very calming.” 

Grabbing Oliver’s hand, Felicity began pulling him behind her. It didn’t take long for him to realize where they were headed. 

“I assume you’ve seen all the rooms except this one.”

Nodding, Oliver stopped in the doorway as Felicity moved inside her bedroom. He leaned against the frame as she turned to him.

“Nice room,” he said with a threatening grin at the corner of his lips. 

“I figured we could finish talking in here,” she said in a low voice.

This time Felicity initiated the kiss. She stepped forward quickly capturing Oliver’s lips before he could say another word. Moving further inside the room, Oliver pulled Felicity into his arms and kicked the door close with his foot never turning his attention away from her. 

His lips moved from hers down to the slope of her neck. His lips desperately tried to cover each slither of exposed skin Felicity showed him as her head rolled back and around. It was only a tease, and Oliver needed more. Turning her around, his hands flew to the zipper on her shirt. 

Felicity held her hair to the side as Oliver quickly did work on her zipper pulling it down. He wanted her out of it but he also wanted to keep her against him. He wrapped his arm around her holding her close. Kissing the exposed skin of her neck and back, his lips traveled along her body as his hand slid underneath her shirt. His hand was cool at first but they quickly warmed up with each movement. It slowly inched from her belly upward slipping underneath her bra to feel her breasts. Massaging and kneading her like she was delicate dough in his hands. 

“Oliver.” She whispered his name and he turned his attention back to her shirt. Lifting it up, Felicity lifted her arms helping Oliver free her from it. 

The shirt fell off to the side as Felicity undid her jeans and stepped out of them. As she turned around to face Oliver his eyes widened in heightened excitement. She stood before him in a black lacy bra with matching panties.

Oliver drank in the site of her. The dark color against her creamy skin giving her a delectable contrast glow.

The feel of Felicity pulling at his belt buckle, helped Oliver snap out of the trance she had him in. Taking over, he quickly undid the buckle with his pants falling to the ground. He stepped out of them kicking them to the side to join Felicity’s shirt. 

Felicity looped her forefinger into Oliver’s boxers and began walking backwards until her legs hit her bed. Falling back, she pulled him down atop of her. His large body engulfing hers as he kissed her senseless. 

His kisses moved from her lips to her neck, traveling down the smoothness of her stomach and over the curve of her hips. Felicity felt as if she was in heaven with the way Oliver expertly marked her body as if he knew every inch of her like the back of his hand. He nipped at her skin with each kiss. Slipping his hands underneath her, he expertly undid her bra with one flick of his fingers. 

Soon every article of clothing made it's own pile on the floor. They were both finally free of every article of clothing and the moment was nearing. Naked and bare before each other ready for the moment that had been brewing.

“Wait.” Felicity’s voice called out and Oliver’s heart almost stopped at hearing that word. Was she feeling regret. Guilt? Thinking of Tommy? The implications of them sleeping together and what it could mean? So many things one word could mean. 

She could see Oliver’s mind was turning like a hamster in a wheel and she quickly told him why she paused things. It was only to ask for protection. “Condom,” she said. 

“Right,” he whispered. All of his worries faded away instantly and he was relieved Oliver sat up yanking his pants off the ground. Digging around in his wallet, he finally gripped the prized possession. “Got it.” 

“Was this your plan all along?” Felicity couldn’t help but to poke fun at him at the fact that he seemed to be prepared. 

“No,” Oliver laughed and left it at that.

He couldn’t very well tell her that her brother stuffed a good amount of condoms in his hands the night of his welcome home party. That would effectively kill the mood.

He tossed his pants back down and ripped the condom open with his teeth. He probably seemed overzealous but he didn’t care. Within seconds the condom was on and Felicity was wrapping her legs around his waist.

Centering himself at her entrance, he leaned forward kissing her lips as he pushed inside of her. Before he could settle, Felicity moved her hips pulling Oliver even deeper. 

Gripping her hips, he settled into a rhythm that Felicity expertly followed. Her legs bracketed him higher and she held onto him tighter. Felicity ran her hands up his back feeling the strength and flex of his muscles against her fingers every time he moved. Sighs, soft moans, and quiet whispers of each other’s name filled the room as they molded their bodies together.

Felicity nipped at Oliver’s bottom lip biting down as Oliver continue to surge inside of her with each stroke. It felt as if he was going deeper and deeper touching places she didn’t know she had.

It had been some time since he was with someone and he had to admit that he was a bit rusty. But he couldn’t bring himself to care, try to be cool. “Felicity.” He breathed out her name feeling the end quickly nearing for him.

Felicity arched up off the bed as she felt the first waves of her orgasm. Oliver brought his hands from her hips holding her up cradling her to his chest. triggered him to follow with his own. He had been holding out trying to ensure that Felicity felt good, but the wait was torturing him. Felicity felt so much like heaven that it took everything in him not to combust quickly. 

He held her close to his chest as Felicity came down slowly. He could still feel her warm, throbbing and pulsating around him as he released himself into the condom. He lazily kissed her, both of them winded from the exhilarating time they spent together. 

Pulling back slightly, Felicity brushed a piece of hair stuck to her cheek away from her face. “You want to stay the night,” she asked, still a bit breathless. 

“I do,” he answered quietly before kissing her again. 


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phone calls interrupt Oliver and Felicity's morning after.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

The sound of loud and obnoxious ringing jolted Oliver awake. His eyes shot open and he realized Felicity was tucked into his arms as he held her close. 

Annoyed by whoever was calling him, Oliver reached behind him to decline the call no matter who it was. Using his muscle memory, he did just that and killed the noise instantly.

Felicity tucked herself back into his arms once more still asleep. Just as he felt himself getting comfortable again, the sound rang out once more. 

This time Felicity peeler herself out of his arms turning her back to him. Forcing himself to open his eyes again, Oliver finally realized it was way past morning with the sun shining brightly as if it had been out a couple of hours. Or more. 

Grabbing his phone, he saw Thea’s picture staring back at him. He hit decline. Not quite awake enough to deal with her.

He silenced it, but even before he could put the phone down, her face appeared once more lighting the room up even more.

“Just answer it.” Felicity’s sleepy and groggy voice came from behind him. 

He turned swinging his legs out of the bed and sat up. “It’s Thea.” With a sigh, he accepted the call and held the phone to his ear. “What is it?” 

_“Well good morning to you too,” she replied. “No, actually it’s afternoon. Good afternoon.”_

“Speedy, what do you need,” he asked immediately growing impatient. 

_“Where are you? Dad is here and he wants to talk to you.”_

“What? Why didn’t he text or call me?”

_“He did. You’ve been MIA all morning though,” she said. Lowering her voice to a whisper, he could practically see Thea talking through her clenched teeth. “Hurry and get your ass home. You know I hate trying to run interference. It’s awkward.”_

Oliver glanced at his phone and saw the slew of missed texts and calls. From Thea, his father and Tommy. Seeing Tommy’s name made him glance back at Felicity momentarily as she stirred in the bed again. 

_“Hello!”_

Thea’s voice brought him back to the topic at hand. “I uh...I didn’t realize he was trying to reach me.”

_“Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t,” she said with a giggle. “So, what should I tell him? You’re on the way? You’re indisposed? Busy with some half naked woman...”_

“Did he say what he wanted,” Oliver asked. 

_“Not really. He just said he really wanted to talk to you over breakfast. Just you.”_

Oliver glanced at his phone once more for the time. It was well after noon, so breakfast would have to be an extremely late brunch or lunch. 

_“Please hurry because I’m a little miffed I have to deal with this. You know, I could be out enjoying the day with Roy.”_

“I’m on my way,” Oliver said cutting her off. “I’ll be home in less than 30 minutes.”

Oliver ended the call pinching the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t exactly the way he pictured being woken up. He could think of other ways that were so much better. Things including Felicity.

Now he had to mentally prepare for a conversation that would surely turn into an argument with his father. They hadn’t talked much since their first lunch after Oliver’s return. A message here and there. Quick phone calls or quiet words to each other in passing. The last conversation they had was at the MG gala and it held nothing of substance. 

No longer half asleep, Felicity had been listening and watching Oliver while he was on the phone. She saw tension enter his body as soon as he picked up the call. 

“Everything alright,” she asked him. 

Oliver took a deep breath and let out a lengthy sigh. “Yes,” he finally answered. 

Standing, he began looking for his clothes. He grabbed his jeans and hopped into them one leg at a time. He spotted his shirt not too far away and slipped it on. 

“My dad is waiting for me back at the house, so I have to go,” he began explaining. “He wants to have a talk.”

Standing over the bed, he fastened his belt thinking of the impeding conversation. He scrubbed his face with his hands blowing out hot annoyed air. 

“Oh.” She understood they tenseness and mood change. “I’m guessing you haven’t talked much.”

“You would be correct,” Oliver mumbled. 

He took a seat on the edge of Felicity’s bed peering down at her. She was relaxed against the pillows with her hair fanning out framing her face. The sunlight slipping in casted an angelic like glow. She had the most beautiful morning after look. 

He reached his hand out to her. “Sorry, I have to leave like this.”

“It’s fine,” Felicity assured him. She sat up wrapping the sheet around her bare body. taking his hand. 

Oliver closed his hand around Felicity’s brushing his thumb softly back and forth across her knuckles. He looked at her for a moment not saying a word. 

The way he stared at her made Felicity’s heart flutter. A look of intensity and happiness. She began smiling under the weight of his eyes. And she could feel a blush creeping on. Turning away from him, Felicity tucked her face into her shoulder. 

“Stop looking at me like that,” she said continuing to smile. 

“Like what exactly?”

“Like that,” she said. He knew how he was looking at her and it was very intense. 

He grinned and she blushed even more. Reaching up, he pushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. Dragging his fingers down her face, he hooked his forefinger underneath her chin tipping it up. He leaned down and she leaned forward, lips meeting for a kiss. 

It only took a few seconds for the kiss to intensify. Oliver’s hand moved from her chin over her bare shoulder and then he cradled her face holding her close to him not wanting to let go. Reluctantly pulling away, he bowed his head with a sigh. 

“I have to go,” he grumbled. He could’ve easily fallen back into bed with Felicity. His body certainly wanted to do just that. “We’ll talk later,” he asked searching her eyes. 

Felicity nodded. “Yes,” she said quietly. “You seem like you‘re going to have a lot going on today, so just call me whenever you get a chance.”

Keeping his promise, Oliver arrived home in less than his estimated time. He walked into the manor with his keys and jacket in his hand. If he knew his sister, he knew she was lurking in the shadows ready to bombard him with questions. Just as he was about to attempt to quietly slip up the stairs to avoid a walk of shame and take a quick shower, she popped out and hurried up to him.

“So, dad left,” she said. “Will have to take a rain check on that meal.”

Oliver whirled on his heels facing her. “He left? What do you mean he left?” 

He hadn’t left when they talked on the phone or when he drove 80 mph to get home. He wasn’t enthused about having a lunch, but he hurried over when he could still be at Felicity’s. He didn’t want to leave her place in a rushed hurry like she was a simple woman he was looking to fool around with and ditch as soon as he could. 

“He left maybe 10 minutes ago,” Thea said. “Got called into the office for some sort of work problem,” she explained. 

“Figures,” Oliver grumbled. 

“Mom too,” Thea added in an attempt to smooth things over. 

That made him feel a little more better. If Moira left as well that meant it was really something and not his dad just bailing for work when convenient. 

“So.” A curious smile stretched across her face. “Where were you last night? Care to share who’s responsible for this walk of shame,” she teased. 

Leaning against the railing, Thea looked Oliver over with an appraising eye. She’d been wondering who the mystery person could’ve been since last night. She believed him when he adamantly denied that it wasn’t Laurel. So, if it wasn’t her, who could it be? 

“Same clothes from last night. Wrinkled. You look a little disheveled. No one was certainly someone. And you didn’t even get a chance to shower this morning, huh,” she continued. “Inquiring minds want to know.” She pointed at herself. “Meaning me.”

Oliver laughed at his younger sister and the way she tried to decode him as if he was some case files spread out in front of her. 

“As I recall, I’m an adult and it’s none of your business.” He grabbed her by the arm ushering her out of the way. “Now goodbye.” Without another word, he began making his way up the stairs. 

“Fine,” Thea crossed her arms. Maybe it was just a random to scratch his itch. She couldn’t really blame him if it was. As long as it didn’t become a pattern like the days of the past. “Keep your secrets,” she yelled after him. 

In his bedroom, Oliver tossed his things onto his bed and gathered his materials for a shower. Turning the water on, he made it considerably cooler than normal and stepped in letting the water beat down on him. the As he stepped in the shower letting the water beat down on him in full force, his mind drifted to Felicity. 

The way her body melted into his. The way her fingers ran over her body with her nails digging into his skin. He could still feel her hands running over his body. And not just the intimacy, he remembered their conversations. Real, raw and genuine conversations. They were open with each other and it didn’t feel forced. It felt right and it naturally flowed. 

He didn’t have him and Felicity connecting on his return home bingo card. They argued endlessly before and it continued after his return. However, there was a switch and she became a sounding board and someone he could easily talk to. 

Stepping out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist, his mind still filled with thoughts of Felicity. Despite the condoms in his wallet, he didn’t go out expecting sex. It just happened to be a natural progression during the night. 

As he brushed his teeth, his phone vibrated against the sink counter. Glancing down, he saw Tommy was calling him once more. 

“Hey man,” he answered. 

_“Dude, where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you since last night.”_

Oliver saw the missed calls, but hadn’t had the time to call back. Better yet, he hadn’t come up with an adequate excuse as to why he wasn’t answering. 

“Yeah, I crashed early last night,” he easily lied. “Then this morning, I was dealing with my dad,” he said continuing the lie. It was a half-truth, not a complete lie. “But, what’s up?” 

He winced at the easy way the lies rolled off his tongue and sounded so believable. He couldn’t very well tell Tommy that he was at his sister’s house having sex not once but twice. That wasn’t going to go over particularly well. 

_“I need to talk to you,” Tommy said._

“I’m listening,” Oliver said. 

_“No. Face to face will be better for this. Can you swing by the club?”_

Oliver paused contemplating what those words could mean. Talk about what exactly? He wouldn’t know until he met with him. 

“Yeah. Let me get dressed and I’ll be on the way,” he said. Tommy ended the call and Oliver heard the click in his ear. He tried to think of anything Tommy needed to talk to him about. And something so important that it needed to be face to face. Nothing was coming to mind. 

It couldn’t have been about him and Felicity. Surely Felicity didn’t run and tell her brothers they had sex, and they saw no one who knew them last night. So, what could it be?

* * *

Oliver walked into Verdant as a delivery guy walked past him exiting the building. “Excuse me,” he said quietly passing by him. Glancing around he saw Tommy walking from around the bar carrying two beers along with him. 

“Hey, join me for a drink.” 

Before Oliver could accept or decline it, a beer was in his hand and Tommy was pulling him over to a seat. 

“What’s so important,” Oliver asked. “Because if this is another pitch about working here, I’ll go ahead and stop you,” he said. “I appreciate the offer, but...”

“No,” Tommy cut him off. “That’s not it. I understand why you turned me down and I’m not upset.” He finally took a seat and continued. “There’s something important I really want to talk to you about and the truth is, I put it off a lot longer than I should have.”

“Tommy, just spit it out. Man, you’re worrying me,” Oliver said with a light laugh. He suddenly felt a swarm of nervous energy at the uncertainty in the air. 

Tommy laughed in response, but Oliver quickly saw that it was a more of a nervous uncomfortable chuckle. He took a large swallow of his beer before finally launching into what needed to be said. 

“Laurel and I have been seeing each other.”

Oliver was about to take a sip of his bed, but Tommy’s word made him basically freeze in place. 

“You and Laurel.” Oliver repeated the words almost like he couldn’t believe them unless he said them out loud himself. 

Tommy stayed quiet for a minute letting the statement marinate in the air. 

“For how long,” Oliver asked. 

“Two years,” Tommy answered. 

“Oh.” For years, so it certainly wasn’t a new thing. It wasn’t like it happened last night like the situation with him and Felicity. He couldn’t get upset even if he wanted to. 

Oliver’s continued silence seemed to make Tommy nervous once more and he slid back into his seat seemingly explaining himself. 

“I wanted to tell you earlier, but with you coming home, I thought it would be best if I let you reacquaint yourself with the more important matters of your life,” he continued. “I get if you’re upset...”

“I’m not upset, I’m just...” 

Of all the things he thought Tommy would want to talk to him about, the thought of him and Laurel never crossed his mind. He wasn’t angry, he wasn’t sad, not even hurt. He felt almost indifferent about it. 

“I’m a little shocked,” he admitted. “I didn’t expect to hear this today,” he said with a light laugh. “But I’m not angry or upset, especially at you.”

Then Oliver thought about Laurel’s kiss not even 24 hours ago. A kiss he didn’t know the meaning of. What was the purpose for the kiss if only a couple hours later, she would go back to Tommy and decide that the truth needed to be told. 

“What spurred the decision to tell me?” Olive couldn’t help but to wonder what was the change of heart. 

“Laurel said she was tired of walking on eggshells, and keeping this hidden since your return was a bit stressful, even I have to admit that,” Tommy said. “We want to be out in the open and free to be a couple without hiding and we couldn’t do that, until I was completely honest with you. As your best friend, I felt that it was my responsibility to tell you.”

“Listen,” Oliver said. “You guys don’t need my blessing.” He was sure if he was said he wasn’t happy about it, they wouldn’t stop seeing each other, so there was no reason to not be okay with it. “If you guys are happy then I’m happy for you both and you’re free to do as you please. We’re all adults here.”

Tommy stood up a bit shocked at how well Oliver seemed to be taking the news. 

“Really,” he questioned. “You really mean that?”

Oliver nodded. “I do. It’ll take a little getting used to seeing, I’m sure. But I’m not upset,” he said trying to reassure his friend once more. “Laurel and I have been over for a long time. She deserves better than me after what I put her through. If she can move on with someone as great as you, I only wish you both the best.”

* * *

Felicity hummed a low tune to herself as she walked out of her steam filled bathroom wrapping a towel around her damp hair. She’d finally managed to get up and start her day after lazing around in the bed. 

Honestly, she was a little more tired than she anticipated after the night and early morning with Oliver. She smiled a little to herself remembering the time spent with him. 

The man who usually made her gag at the thought of him made her scream his name into the void of her bedroom. She knew she sounded like a broken record, but things really did change after five years. Now the question remained, where did they go from here. 

The sound of her phone ringing pulled her from her thoughts. Picking up from her bed, she saw it was an unsaved number calling. With no clue as to who it could be, she answered it anyway. 

“Hello.”

_“Felicity, this is Mr. Dennis.”_

Felicity froze at the sound of the dreaded voice. She rolled her eyes because talking to this man on the phone felt like getting her cavities filled. She would rather endure a medical procedure over a conversation with the one and only Mr. Dennis. 

Drowning out the loud words of what she really wanted to say in her mind, she managed to muster up a simple response. 

“Hi. What can I do for you,” she asked. 

_“I didn’t want to bother you a formal meeting, so I thought a phone call would work best.”_

Felicity braced herself for what was coming next. Depending on the next words to come out of his mouth, she could be approaching a crisis. 

“Is something wrong?”

_“No,” he quickly answered. He paused momentarily as if to give her time to let out the breath she’d been holding. Then he relayed what he was calling for. “This call is about your project. The rest of the board members and I have been speaking and we think we need to move the timeline up.”_

“Excuse me,” she said. She practically shouted the words as she began angrily pacing back and forth. “What do you mean move it up?”

_“We know you’re approaching the final stages and with the interest from Wayne Enterprises, we think it’s best if we have a tangible presentation in the near future. Meaning, you need to pick a candidate for the implant.”_

“Is my father aware of this,” she asked. 

She shut her eyes at soon as the question slipped from her lips. She didn’t want to be seen as the person running to her father when things didn’t go her way, but she was frustrated with the sudden call. 

_“Miss Merlyn, I assure you that this isn’t an attack on you. Let’s leave the emotions out of it...”_

“Leave my emotions out of it,” she repeated with a bitter laugh. “This is my project that I’ve worked tirelessly on for as long as I can remember and I can’t just put a rush on it. It’s not an assignment I can spew out a half thought out answer for and turn in before midnight.”

There was silence on the phone and Felicity quickly saw that no matter what she said, there would be no budging or changing of the board members minds. 

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she let out of a defeated sigh. “How much time are you giving me,” she questioned. She knew if he called that meant she was on a schedule. 

_“Until October.”_

Six months. She had six months to turn her life’s work into a viable bio-stimulant implant that would help someone regain a little more control over their life. Six months that would make or break her. 

_“Don’t look at it as if we’re rushing you because we don't believe in you. We certainly do,” Mr. Dennis continued. “We’re just asking you to speed the process up a little more.”_

Not asking to rush, but giving her a deadline. Just another word for put a rush on it. 

“Mr. Dennis, is there anything else I can do for you? If not, I think you know I need to be getting to work,” she said. 

_“No. That would be all.”_

Felicity gave him an unenthusiastic goodbye and ended the call. Tossing the phone, she threw herself back on her bed letting out a loud groan full of frustration. 

* * *

_“We’re moving the timeline up.”_

Mr. Dennis’ words played over and over in her head like a patronizing loop. 

Finally standing at the counter, she did a quick glance at the menu once more and then raked her eyes over the pastry case. 

“An iced white chocolate mocha, cranberry scone and a blueberry muffin. I’ll take the largest size you have for all. Thanks.” 

She managed to muster up a friendly smile to the cashier taking her order, but her feelings were the exact opposite. She was still miffed and spiraling from the phone call. Now she was heading into the office in a not so great mood when originally she wanted to go in, look over a couple of things and go back home. Now she felt stressed and as if her back was against the wall. 

Leave it to Mr. Dennis and the board to take her from the high she was feeling from her time with Oliver to a nervous wreck regarding her project. Hopefully the loads of sugar she was about to consume would help bring a smile back to her face. 

Before she could scan her card, Tommy appeared next to her whipping out his wallet. He scanned his credit card and turned to her with a smile. The universe was certainly playing with her today. 

“I could’ve paid,” Felicity said slipping her Jitters card back into its designated slot in her wallet. She’d amassed so many reward points, she could probably pay for everyone’s order in the place. 

“I know, but I wanted to. I know how much you thrive off caffeine,” Tommy said. “Plus, I want us to talk.”

Stepping to the side, Felicity moved out of the way of the other customers in line. “Five minutes is all I have.” She had to wait for her order, so she could use the time to hear him out. “What can I do you for,” she asked. 

“I talked to Oliver today and I finally told him the truth. The truth about me and Laurel,” he said. 

Felicity slowly looked up from the floor to Tommy’s face. “Really?” She was shocked. “How did that come about?”

“Laurel and I talked about it,” he answered. “And we thought it would be best to come clean. Get things out in the open and hopefully we all move forward.”

That was the last thing she expected to hear from Tommy. And to hear that Laurel agreed to it was another shock. Maybe that kiss to Oliver was really a goodbye and farewell kiss after all. 

“How did Oliver take the news,” she asked next.

Tommy shrugged. “I think he took it as best as he could. It wasn’t ideal to hear I’m sure, but I think overall, he took it well. He said he wasn’t upset and he understood that things could change over the years.”

Things certainly could change. Last night with her and Oliver more than proved that. She wondered briefly if in this coming clean moment did the topic of her and Oliver come up. 

“Did he say anything else,” she asked. 

Tommy looked a bit confused for a moment. “Like what,” he asked. 

In her peripheral vision, she could see one of the baristas sitting her order out on the pickup tray. 

“Nothing,” she quickly said. It seemed as if her and Oliver were still unknown, which was for the best. “Well, it sounds as if things have worked out for all involved parties, which is good. And I hope you and Laurel continue to make each other happy.”

She walked off gathering her items with the intention of leaving right out the door. Tommy followed her every step until finally moving in front of her cutting off her path. 

“Will you just wait up,” he called after her. 

“Tommy, I have to go,” she sighed. “I have a pretty busy day...”

“Geez. Just wait one second,” he pleaded. “Isn’t this what you wanted? Isn’t that what you were harping on me about? Telling Oliver the truth. I tell you I told the truth and all I get is a that’s good.” He took a step back crossing his arms. “I thought coming clean would help me and you move past this squabble we’ve been having.”

Felicity let out a humorless laugh. Even if him being with Laurel was on the list of things currently bothering her about him, it would be dead last. 

“Yeah, I wanted you to be honest with your best friend for your relationship sake. But Tommy, if you think that was the main thing wrong with you and me then you’re seriously mistaken.”

“Well just tell me what it is,” he said. 

“I shouldn’t have to tell you,” she said. She felt as if she was repeating what she said to him at the MG event. “You keep trying to put these band aids on our issues by doing little things here and there. Inviting me out to lunch, a box of chocolates, buying my coffee.”

His forms of an apology were superficial and they were way past that. If he wasn’t ready to be open and honest about where things started to go wrong for them, there was no point in doing these little dances that amounted to nothing. 

“Until we really peel back and take a look at what went wrong with us so long ago, the issues won’t get fixed. Are you ready to do that?”

Tommy stood with his hands in his pockets not saying a word. Felicity could see what she said seemed to have an effect on him. As she stood waiting on him to say something, he remained quiet. Just as she thought he would. 

“Tommy, I really have to go.” And without another thought, she breezed past him not sparing him another glance as she headed for the exit. 

* * *

A knock on her door pulled Felicity from the deep thinking session she was currently in. She took one more sip of wine from the glass in her hand, before sitting it down and hurrying to the door. 

Opening the door, she saw Oliver, who she was expecting, leaning against the door frame. 

“Hi.” She stepped back. “Come on in.” 

With a quiet thanks, Oliver moved inside as Felicity closed the door behind him. 

“Oh, before I forget.” He stepped out of his shoes sitting them in the designated corner of her living room.

“You learn quick,” she said impressed. “I still have to fight Curtis at the door to get him to comply,” Felicity said as she watched him. “Have a seat.”

Oliver’s eyes drilled into the mess in Felicity’s living room. Her coffee table was covered in two pizza boxes, chips, a bottle of wine and a wine glass that had been refilled one too many times. 

“Where exactly,” he joked. 

“Sorry about the mess,” she whispered. She cleared a spot on the sofa freeing a place for him. 

“If you’re busy, I can leave...”

“No,” she assured him. “It’s fine. I need to stop anyway. I’ve been going nonstop for all day. Today has been very hectic and not at all like I thought it would go,” she said. 

“That would make two of us,” he said. Oliver sat down letting out a sigh. “After racing home earlier, my father canceled on me. Then Tommy called asking if I could meet him to talk.”

Felicity looked Oliver over remembering her conversation with Tommy and the bomb he dropped on Oliver. She sat down next to him letting her knee brush against his as she settled into the sofa. 

“I know,” she said. “I mean about Tommy. I saw him after and he told me he finally told you the truth about him and Laurel earlier,” she said. 

Felicity’s use of finally struck him. “You knew about them,” Oliver asked her. 

Felicity nodded. “Are you upset that I didn’t tell you?

He sat up and shook his head. “Why would I be? It wasn’t your truth to tell.” He couldn’t be angry at her even if he tried. And no need to be angry at Felicity about something he wasn’t even upset about anyway. 

“If it makes you feel any better, they kept it quiet for the most part,” Felicity offered. 

Felicity always felt that people had to have their suspicions. Tommy and Laurel went out on the town like a normal couple would. Either people thought they were just really great friends or Tommy slipped the media a little extra change to keep it out of the tabloids. Their outings dwindled down to zero upon Oliver’s return. 

“Are you really okay,” Felicity asked Oliver next. 

“I am despite what Tommy may think. He may think I was just bullshitting him, but I’m not upset,” he said. “Shocked? Yes, but upset? No.” 

Felicity let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t realize it, but carrying that around was adding to the weight on her shoulders. 

“I didn’t tell him about Laurel kissing me either. I felt it was pointless, you know,” he said. “How did you feel about them when you found out,” Oliver asked. 

“I...l,” Felicity sighed. “I sometimes questioned if she really loved him. Like I know Tommy loves Laurel, but a part of me wondered if he was just a substitute for you,” she answered honestly. 

Laurel was an enigma. Felicity couldn’t and wouldn’t try to figure her out anymore. With everything going on with her own life, she couldn’t manage hers and Tommy’s as well, so she was now solely focused on herself. 

“But if she agreed to finally be honest with you about them, maybe I was wrong. Even though, Tommy and I have our problems, I don’t want to shatter his heart by telling him about something that amounted to absolutely nothing,” she said. “Plus, he made it quite clear that he wants me to stay out of his personal life and I intend to honor his wish.”

Oliver listened intently to Felicity and found himself agreeing with her reasoning. He felt the same about not mentioning the kiss. They were adults now, not middle school children going around gossiping about who kissed who. 

“He seems happy and I don’t want to derail that. Laurel’s kiss meant nothing to me, so I’m leaving it in the past just like our relationship. She‘s chosen Tommy, so end of story,” he straightened up. “Besides, I think I’m holding onto a much bigger secret than a kiss,” he said looking to Felicity. 

Felicity quietly nodded. That was an understatement. “But us sleeping together once doesn’t exactly stack up to years long relationship does it?”

“It wasn’t exactly a one-time incident last night though,” he said with a wide teasing grin. 

Felicity rolled her eyes. “There’s that infamous Oliver Queen.” She moved to grab her pizza box, but Oliver reached out for her stopping her. 

“Come back. I was only kidding,” he laughed. He grabbed her hand pulling her back down beside him. Felicity settled beside him relaxing her body as Oliver wrapped his fingers around her hand. “Was it a one-time thing though,” he asked. 

Felicity gave an indecisive shrug. She didn’t know what she should say. She enjoyed last night and the thought of it happening again crossed her mind, but she didn’t know where Oliver’s head was at. 

Oliver sat still and quiet for a moment. Sitting on Felicity’s sofa beside her, he felt the same feeling of peace that seemed to fall on him when with her lately. 

He brushed his thumb back and forth across her knuckles softly. “Can I be honest with you,” he asked. 

Felicity looked up noting the tone in his voice. The playful teasing long gone, it was now serious. “Yeah, I’m listening.”

“You’re the only thing that’s really made sense to me since I’ve been back home,” he said. 

Don’t get him wrong, he was thankful to be home. Thankful to be bonding with his sister again and repairing their relationship. But being home meant being under the weight of expectations. His mother didn’t mention it much, but she expected him to do something and it was already known how his father felt. 

And with Tommy, even before learning about him and Laurel, things just weren’t the same. There was a difference in their friendship. It almost felt distant. They both changed and grew in those years apart. He was no longer the partying playboy that ran the town with Tommy.

With Felicity, it was easy. Despite the changes in her style and career goals, inside her was still this thing that drew him to her. Only now, it wasn’t to argue and to jostle with her. It was something different and there was this significant change between them. He found himself seeking her out. Wanting to talk to her and confide in her. And he was insanely attracted to her. 

“Spending this time with you lately has made things a little less hazy and a lot more clearer. I can talk to you and it just feels right,” he continued. “And being with you last night, it certainly didn’t feel wrong,” he said with a light laugh. “But if you regret last night...”

“I don’t regret it,” Felicity interrupted him. “I don’t.”

“Really,” Oliver asked as if he needed to hear her say once more. “You don’t regret anything?”

“I don’t regret it,” she repeated this time with a smile. “Last night, just spending time with you, I felt relaxed,” she said. “And I really liked that feeling. Maybe it’s what I’ve been missing.” 

She’d been holding things in and Oliver was easy to talk to. Of course, she had Lena, Curtis and her father, but Oliver was filling another void. Intimacy. 

“Alright,” Oliver smiled. “What does that mean for us? Do we tell anyone?” 

And by anyone, he mostly meant his best friend who happened to be Felicity’s brother. With Tommy being so open with him, Oliver really couldn’t envision himself going to him and saying, thanks for being honest with me. Oh, and by the way, I’m doing your sister. It would shatter everything. 

“We don’t have to,” she said. Looking to Oliver, she waited for his opinion on the matter. 

She knew neither one of them were redo for a committed relationship. With disastrous situations with Cooper and Laurel in the rear, it was better to just take things as they came. Not to put titles and labels on anything. She preferred the anonymity without all the questions. And in the back of her mind, she knew Tommy wouldn’t approve. However, she was an adult and she could make her own decisions. She would rather not spend her time explaining herself to people. 

Oliver took a deep breath running his hand along the back of his neck. “So we’re friends with benefits,” he pondered out loud. 

Felicity threw her leg over Oliver moving onto his lap. She pushed him back slightly running her hands along his chest. 

“If that’s what we want to call it,” Felicity shrugged. She’s never been in a friends with benefits situation. She always thought you needed to be committed, but after seeing what commitment to Cooper brought her, she was ready to try something new. 

“And last I checked, friends with benefits didn’t go around town blasting their situation,” she said. “So, yes. Let’s keep it between me and you.”

Oliver looked up at Felicity licking his lips as if she was a meal that was just presented in front of him. 

“You’re a capable adult woman. I’m a grown man,” he said. “We’re free to do whatever we want.” He wrapped his arms around Felicity’s waist as she settled into his lap. “I’ll follow your lead and go as fast or as slow as you want. I’m giving you the reigns and you’re in charge.”

Felicity grinned with an approving nod. “So, if I were to say the benefits start tonight, what would you say?”

She leaned down kissing his lips quickly before dragging hers across his jaw and against his bopping throat. She came back up kissing his parted waiting lips again. His grip on her tightened and he pulled her against him making a gasp fall from her lips at the intense contact. 

“I would agree,” he mumbled against her lips. Kissing her once more, he pulled back and pointed to the coffee table behind them. “But first, you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Felicity sat a bit dumbfounded and stunned at Oliver’s sudden derailment. “That’s not following my lead,” she huffed. 

“I know, but this is what comes with Oliver Queen’s friends with benefits package.” He brushed her hair away from her face tucking the strands behind her ears. “Something has to be wrong if you’re eating cold pizza and drinking wine. Especially after you talked about preparing your body for the charity race.”

“Who told you to be so attentive,” she mumbled. Turning around, she adjusted herself in Oliver’s lap as he wrapped his arms around her. “Remember when I mentioned a Mr. Dennis?”

Oliver nodded. It was brief, but he remembered the name and that Felicity seemed to not care for him much. 

“Well not long after you left, he called and his call lead to me doing all of this.” She waved her hand over the junk filled table. 

Felicity explained in more detail what the call entailed regarding her project and how she felt pressured. 

“So, that’s where I’m currently at,” she said. “I have to finalize the implant and also pick a viable candidate for it.Everything has to be right on the first try. I can’t afford a do-over.”

“Have you talked to Malcom about it,” Oliver questioned. “Maybe he can get them to give you more time?”

Felicity shook her head. “I don’t want to complain to my father because then it’ll really seem like I’m just where I am because I’m daddy’s little girl. I refuse to give them that satisfaction. Plus, the board holds the power, so it really wouldn’t do anything to help.”

“What has you more concerned? The final touches in the bio-stimulant or picking a candidate?”

“Honestly, picking a candidate,” she answered.“Well what about someone currently in physical therapy,” Oliver offered. “I mean, it was your mother’s line of work and this idea sprouted from her.”

“I thought about it,” she said honestly. “But how would I go about it? Just go and randomly pluck someone out of a physical therapy session? Or send golden tickets out across town like some rehab Willy Wonka?” She could just see herself walking into Paul’s, Curtis’ husband, workplace and hand out raffle tickets. 

Oliver laughed quietly at the image playing out in his mind.

There was the child angle as a candidate, but the slight percent chance of it not working worried her. 

“I can’t choose a child or teenager because what if we do the procedure and it isn’t successful. I’ve gotten their hopes up and shattered them. I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror,” she continued. 

“I need the first person to be sort of significant, but not worldly famous. Something big enough to grab headlines and attention but be sincere at the same time. And I can’t let the board pick the person because I know they wouldn’t care. They would go for a big name to make a big splash leaving sincerity completely behind while also making everything way too expensive.”

Felicity didn’t want to go the celebrity route. She didn’t want it to seem as if she was only doing this for fame and notoriety. Despite her privileged upbringing, her mother always made sure to instill values in her and the will to help those less fortunate whenever she could. For that reason alone, she wanted to make sure the price for her bio-stimulant, if mass produced, was fair and affordable. 

She felt her forehead knitting and could tell that she was now on tangent. She turned to Oliver and he was completely silent. Not saying a word or making a sound. Only blinking as he stared back at her. 

Elbowing him slightly, he jumped. “Did you zone out,” Felicity asked. 

“No!” He rubbed at his now tender ribs. “I was listening and waiting for my turn to speak.”

“Oh.” She let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back into his arms. “I probably sound like a babbling, rambling utter fool anyway. I blame the wine.”

“No, you just sound like someone who is passionate about their line of work and actually cares for it. Not just in it for their own selfish reasons. It's admirable.”

“Thank you,” Felicity sincerely said. 

Oliver kissed her cheek, whispering a soft it’s going to be okay in her ear. “You’re not going to solve it all in one night,” he said. “And it’s perfectly fine if you don’t. Don’t beat yourself up or wear yourself out.”

“I know. I know. You’re completely right,” she admitted. 

“I have a suggestion,” Oliver said. “We can table this for tonight. I can help you relax, and then in the morning, I fix you a real breakfast. I can’t help you much on the science side, but I can help you brainstorm a list of potential candidates.”

“You want to help me work and cook for me,” she grinned. “Wow. If only the Oliver from five years ago could see you now.”

“Very funny,” he laughed. “But I’m being serious. What do you say?”

Felicity stood holding her hand out for Oliver. She glanced over her shoulder with a winking smile. She was saying yes even without words. He grabbed ahold of her hand happily letting  
her lead him to her bedroom. 


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver spends time with Thea while Felicity spends time with her father. Oliver may have an idea that can help Felicity with her project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween. Enjoy!

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

“By my count, that was at least six jumps in there.” 

Thea poked fun at Oliver as they walked out of a late night showing for a horror movie.

“Oh come on,” Oliver objected as they stepped outside making their way down the pavement. “That’s the entire purpose of jump scare scenes in movies,” he laughed. “You can’t possibly hold that against me. Especially when I’m pretty sure my arm is bleeding from your nails.”

Oliver rubbed at his right arm where Thea held on during the entire movie, clinging to him as if he was her life support.

“Sorry,” she shrugged. Her laugh rippled off after her quiet sorry showing that she really wasn’t apologetic. “In my defense, I suggested the Arrow movie first, but you declined it. So, I say well deserved.”

“No one wants to watch a guy running atop of buildings in green face paint and leather pants shooting arrows for two hours straight,” Oliver argued. “It’s lame.”

Thea laughed and nibbled on the leftover popcorn in the bucket she was still carrying. “You’re lame,” she responded. 

They continued down the shopping strip talking and poking fun at each other along the way. The entire day had been devoted to spending time together. Oliver wanted to make sure he was present in Thea’s life. Unlike in the past when he was solely focused on his own life. He was making an effort to be there whether it was spending time together or just simply having a conversation. He didn’t want to repeat his past mistakes with her. 

“So, what are we eating tonight,” Oliver asked. 

He didn’t know why he asked because they were just going to end up at Jitters anyway. Thea was absolutely obsessed with that place. Everyone in town seemed to be crazy about it. Felicity certainly lived off of it.

“Jitters,” she answered with a smug smile. 

Just as he thought. Rolling his eyes, Oliver shook his head. “How many times can you consume the same place over and over again? You’re just like...”

Felicity’s name almost slipped off his lips easily. It felt as if it was right on the tip of his tongue and luckily he caught himself. Thea was not the person to have a slip up with because she would dig and dig at it until you confessed to something. It would be like giving a dog a bone. 

“Like who,” Thea looked up and asked just as Oliver expected. 

He had to think quickly and he said the first think that came to mind. “Like these other teenagers around here,” he said. 

“Oh.” She popped another kernel in her mouth. “I thought you were going to say Felicity.”

Oliver’s head whipped around before he knew it. “Why would I say her?” He hoped his question didn’t come off as defensive as he sounded. 

“She eats here a lot,” Thea continued, seemingly haven’t noticed Oliver’s tone. “I would see her all the time when I stopped in with my friends after school. I still see her at times just not as much as I used to.”

Oliver nodded quietly as Thea continued. 

“Did I ever tell you Felicity would check up on me.”

Oliver’s eyebrow ticked as he peered down at Thea intrigued. “What do you mean,” he asked. 

Thea remembered the memories fondly. She would be in Jitters and if Felicity popped in, she stopped by to talk to her. Sometimes for five minutes, sometimes for an hour. The conversations were never too deep or emotional 

“It was while you were away,” Thea started. “Whenever I would see her, she would ask how I was doing with everything.” 

Everything meaning Oliver being away and her parents’ divorce. Not many people on the outside thought about her or her feelings. So for Felicity, someone who wasn’t family or necessarily a friend of hers, and only really knew Thea by an extension to Oliver, to reach out, it meant a lot to her. 

“She would go out of her way to see how I was doing and I really appreciated it,” Thea smiled. “She’s nice. Nothing like the way I would hear you describe her when I was younger.”

Oliver snorted. Thea wasn’t alone in that. Not even a couple of months ago, he would’ve described Felicity the same way he did in the last. Now, he had a totally different opinion of her. 

“I was a jerk,” he laughed. “Take everything I said back then with a grain of salt.”

“Was,” Thea repeated with a grin. “The jury is still out on that.”

“Hey,” Oliver stepped back feigning as if he was offended. “A jerk wouldn’t take you to Jitters go get the same thing over and over, now would he?”

“I do not get the same thing each time,” Thea argued. “They have a wide variety of choices and they are all good.”

“They’re alright,” he said quietly. “I’m much better.”

Thea scoffed with a laugh. “You keep boasting about these culinary skills that I have yet to witness.”

“There’s no need for me to cook when Raisa takes such great care of us,” he said. 

“Good point,” she said. 

Just as they made it to the Jitters entrance, Oliver and Thea’s path was cut off by nine other than Tommy and Laurel. The universe loved playing tricks on him it seemed. 

After moments of silence and quick glances, Tommy was the first to speak. “Well look at this lovely family gathering,” he gestured to Oliver and Thea. 

“Hi guys,” Thea spoke full of cheer. 

Oliver looked from Tommy to Laurel who was huddled close to him, hand clasped in his. Like the picture perfect couple. This was actually his first time seeing them out together. He and Tommy saw each other here and there, but they actually hadn’t hung out. And he most certainly hadn’t hung out with them together. He hadn’t laid eyes on Laurel since the night she stopped by the manor. He’d planned to keep it that way as long as possible. Out of sight, out of mind. 

“Hey,” Oliver finally spoke. 

“Hi,” Laurel spoke quietly. It was more towards Thea than to him. When she finally looked over at Oliver, her eyes wavered as she cleared her throat forcing a smile onto her face. 

“I feel like it’s been some time since we’ve all seen each other,” Tommy said. 

“Yeah,” Thea nodded. “I see you’ve been busy. I guess I should say congrats,” she gestured down at Tommy and Laurel’s closed hands. Oliver mentioned that Laurel and Tommy were a couple, but to actually see it was truly something. “Laurel, why didn’t you say anything when you stopped by the manor? It must’ve still been new.” 

The question was innocent, but to Laurel, it was anything but. She’d never told Tommy of her pop-up visit to Oliver and clearly Oliver hadn’t said a word. 

Tommy looked to Laurel with a questioning glance. “When was this?”

Oliver stayed quiet. So, just as he thought Tommy knew nothing about Laurel’s impromptu pop-up at the manor months ago. That gave him even more reason to stay completely away from their relationship and whatever Laurel has going on. 

“Uh, it was after the gala,” Laurel said. “I just went by to apologize for the way my dad lashed out at him at the gala. No big deal.” Laurel looked to change the subject. “So, what are you guys up to?”

“Just hanging out,” Thea answered. “We saw a movie. Now we’re about to get something to eat.”

“Oh. Well we’re actually about to grab some pizza. Want to join,” Tommy offered. 

Before Oliver could turn them down, Thea spoke up once more. “Thanks, but no thanks. it’s just me and the big bro tonight,” Thea said. “And I’m really itching to get my hands on a chopped salad. Rain check?”

They said their goodbyes and as the two groups went their separate ways, Oliver let out a quiet sigh of relief that he wouldn’t be forced to endure a group dinner tonight. He held the door to Jitters open as Thea stepped through. As she passed by, he couldn’t help but notice the not so nice glare she gave him. 

“What,” he asked. 

“You’re welcome, by the way,” she said. “And please for the love of God, tell me you aren’t sneaking around with Laurel,” she whispered as she walked past him. 

“What,” he asked again as he froze. This time he laughed because it was such an outlandish thought. 

Thea grabbed his hand dragging him to a table practically throwing him in a seat across from her. 

“You heard the question!”

“Why on earth would you think that,” Oliver exclaimed. “The answer is a resounding no.”

Thea took a cautious sigh of relief. Oliver’s denial seemed real. He didn’t glance away or avoid her line of sight. He looked her right in the eyes and said no. 

“Alright. So, what was that back there,” she asked. “The cringe awkwardness and thick tension. Also, why didn’t you stop me from opening my huge mouth? Tommy obviously didn’t know about Laurel’s visit. Why didn’t either of you mention that?”

“It’s not mine to tell,” Oliver shrugged. “I am staying completely away from that situation.” He honestly felt that way. Yes, Tommy was his best friend, but getting in between him and Laurel would spell disaster. “Now you tell me why you think I would be back with Laurel,” he said to Thea. 

“I’m not an idiot. I know you haven’t been a celibate saint since returning home,” she began. “You’ve been out some nights and you won’t say with who, so I...”

“You automatically assumed the worst...” Because the idea of rekindling anything with Laurel would be the worst idea for him. 

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I know you said you’ve changed and I believe you. I really do,” she reiterated. “You’ve been much more present and I can see the changes. It’s just...”

“Just what,” Oliver asked waiting on her to elaborate. 

“I don’t want you to get wrapped up in Laurel again. When the two of you were together it was like a never ending cycle of toxic drama and I...” Thea paused with a smile. “I want more for you. You deserve more. You deserve something real.”

Oliver smiled at his baby sister and all her wisdom packed into her small frame. He knew that Thea noticed what went on with him and Laurel in the past. She was young, but she wasn’t an idiot. He was just too full of himself to realize just how terrible of an example he was setting for her. Luckily, Thea had her head on straight. 

“Thanks Thea,” he smiled. “I appreciate hearing that from you.”

“Now tell me who she is.” Thea crossed her arms with a giddy expectant smile. 

“Yeah, that is not happening,” he laughed. 

As for his current situation with Felicity, he couldn’t possibly tell Thea about her. And after what she blurted out to Tommy, she surely wouldn’t be able to contain a secret as big as Felicity. 

Thea picked up on how Oliver didn’t say it was more than one or someone different each time. For that, she was extremely thankful. Now the question remained who this mystery woman was. 

“So, it is the same girl, huh? She as is singular,” she continued to dig. 

“Thea, I’m not telling you anything else tonight,” he laughed. “Please go order your food.”

She grumbled and stood up with a dissatisfied huff. “Fine. Keep your secrets.”

* * *

“Thank you.”

Felicity slipped into the pulled out chair the hostess held for her. He disappeared for a quick moment and returned with a waiter carrying an appetizer tray and glasses of wine. Her and her father’s usual. 

Malcolm was a regular at Dark Archer’s, so whenever they dined there, they were promptly showed to their usual dining table and given their starter items without hesitation. 

As she waited for Malcolm to show, she slowly sipped on her glass of wine and casually scrolled through her social media pages. She’d been so disconnected from the world, it felt as if she hadn’t made a post in ages. 

Snapping a quick picture of the appetizer spread, she posted an update to all her pages simultaneously. 

_You never get too old for a dinner date with your father._

She capped it off with a heart emoji and just aa she hit send, she felt her father rush up behind her. He gave her shoulders a hug and kissed her temple. 

“Hi sweetie.” He kissed her cheek this time quietly apologizing for his tardiness. “Sorry, I’m a little late. Traffic was hectic coming from my way.”

“I just got here,” Felicity said. “So, no worries,” she smiled up at him.

He slid into the seat opposite Felicity as the waiter promptly arrived to take their orders. Felicity opted for rice pilaf with seared scallops and an arugula salad. Malcolm went with his usual lobster bisque soup and chef salad.

“So, what’s the occasion,” Felicity asked as the waiter whisked away with their orders.

“I can’t want to spend some time with my lovely daughter,” he winked with a laugh. “But to be honest, I’ve missed you and with you turning in your completed project, I wanted to take you out. I know how hard you’ve worked and I wanted to whisk you away temporarily.”

Malcolm looked at his daughter who somehow managed to exceed his expectations every day. She was practically the spitting image of her mother and had her fiery wit and temperament He considered himself lucky just being her father.

Felicity smiled appreciatively. “Aww pops, that means a lot to me.”

“How do you feel now that it’s complete,” Malcolm asked.

“A bit relieved,” she sighed rolling her shoulders. Now it’s just up to Mr. Dennis and his fellow minions to accept it once I get the results back.”

Felicity rolled her eyes picking her glass up and taking a big gulp of wine. She tried not to dwell on the negative thoughts and stay positive, but Mr. Dennis elicited such an anger in her.

“You’ll do and be fine,” Malcolm said encouraging her. “No matter what, I’m proud of you. You’re smart and intelligent,” he said. “I’m really proud of the woman you’ve become and are continuing to grow into,” he said. “As for Mr. Dennis, don’t let him get under your skin too much.

“He gives everyone grief,” Malcolm said nonchalantly. “He gave me a hard time for years and still does.”

The board members carried a lot of weight. You just had to continue beating them at their own game. That’s what Malcolm did for years, now it was Felicity’s turn. 

“Yeah, but it’s different for me,” Felicity said. “I’m your daughter and also a woman. That’s two strikes against me already. I’m sure if Tommy was leading this, there would be no questions asked.” Amazing how a penis was such great advantage in the workplace. 

“Speaking of Tommy, have you seen him lately,” Malcolm asked. 

“No.” Felicity shook her head grabbing her wine glass once more.

“Oh.” Malcolm sat back a bit stunned. “I hope this rift between us isn’t affecting you guys.” He looked at her with an inquisitive stare as she remained silent. 

He always wanted his kids to be close and they were growing up, he didn’t want them drifting apart now. 

“Felicity,” he called her name. The fatherly tone slipping through and very clear. “Is that what’s going on?”

“It’s not that,” Felicity quickly said. “You and Tommy have gone at it for years and he and I have managed to have a good relationship.”

“So, what is it now?”

“It’s a combination of things,” Felicity terribly summed up. “We’ll move past it eventually.”

* * *

Refreshed. That was how Felicity would describe the way she felt. And not just from the shower she stepped out of. The scale on her work life was finally tipping back to normal. Compared to how she felt two months ago when she felt as if her life’s work was being completely sabotaged. Dinner with her father really helped and he was able to put things in perspective for her. 

Her project was going through its final test run and she was confident that this was it. No more revisions, more tweaks. That would be it and then on to the final stage of finding a candidate. 

Her mind soon wandered to Oliver. Along with Malcolm, his words of encouragement really gave her a boost of confidence. Which is why she invited him over for her night. A light tap on her door let him know he was outside. 

“Come on in,” Felicity cheerfully said as she held the door open for Oliver to pass through. As she closed the door, he did his usual routine of stepping over to the designated side and slipped his shoes off before turning to her with welcoming arms. He no longer gave her grief about it. 

“Hey,” he spoke with a fervent smile. 

“Hi.” She smiled back stepping into his arms slipping hers around his neck as hers smoothly wrapped around her waist. 

Oliver pressed a soft kiss to her cheek as Felicity turned slightly quickly capturing his lips. The kiss quickly heated showcasing just how long it’d been since they’d physically seen each other. About two weeks. Fourteen days with only brief text conversations. No physical touch and both of their bodies missed each other. 

It had been two months since they began this...what was happening between them. In those two months, time spent together was sporadic. While she was dealing with work, Oliver was still finding his footing at home and finally settling into some normalcy. She had to admit that she missed him. And judging by the way Oliver’s eyes were washing over her, he certainly missed her as well. 

Felicity looked up meeting Oliver’s eyes. “Hi,” she repeated again. 

“Miss me,” he teased. 

“I did,” she said without hesitation. “The feeling is mutual I would hope.”

Instead of verbal answer, Oliver surged forward kissing Felicity. He channeled all of his energy into the kiss. Pulling away, Oliver licked his lips savoring the sweet taste of Felicity’s natural flavor. “Does that answer your question?”

When Felicity texted him about coming over, the answer was yes even before he could think about it. Instead of getting into bed as he planned after his shower, he quickly threw on a shirt and pants, grabbed his keys and hurried out the door. He was more than happy to be sitting on her sofa right now. 

“So, tell me how you’ve been. Anything new going on,” Felicity asked. 

“Nothing major,” he answered. 

Oliver told her about the time he spent with Thea just the day before, briefly mentioning Laurel and Tommy. When he saw that Felicity had nothing to add on that particular subject, he quickly moved to the next topic. 

“Why did you never tell me you had formed a relationship with Thea.”

“Thea,” Felicity repeated a bit confused. 

“Yeah. She mentioned to me how you would sort of look after her while I was gone.”

“Oh! Oh. You mean that.” Felicity shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “It was nothing really,” she said. 

“Not a big deal,” he said. “I disagree.”

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Felicity said. “I wanted her to know if she needed anything, she could come to me. I know what it’s like to all of a sudden have things change and feel alone. If I could give her a piece of advice to help, I wanted to,” she continued. 

“Well I don’t know if she told you are not, but she really appreciated it.”

“Really,” Felicity smiled as Oliver nodded. “She’s a good girl. She certainly has her head on straight.”

“Thanks for doing that,” he said. “I selfishly couldn’t be there...”

“Hey.” Felicity cut Oliver off before he could do his self-deprecating act. “You’re back and you’re being present. The now is all that matters. Trust me, she appreciates the effort.”

They sat there together quietly for a moment. As Felicity say close to him, Oliver looked her over scanning every inch of her he could see. 

Felicity tilted her head looking back at Oliver. “What is it? Forget how I look,” she asked under his gaze. 

Oliver reached for her hand and pulled her into his lap. Leaning back, he let her adjust her weight as she swung her legs over him. 

“Your hair has gotten longer.” He brought his hand up touching the loose waves. The length now slightly passed her shoulders instead of cropping before them. “Is that on purpose,” he asked. 

“Not really,” she laughed. 

She instinctively ran her hand over her hair. She briefly thought of going back to the salon to have a few inches cut off, but part of her did miss the long length. She would never admit that to Curtis though. It was probably more of habit than anything. 

“Pampering myself sort of got lost in the fray of things. A haircut wasn’t very high on the priority list.”

A mischievous smirk stretched across Oliver’s face. “It does give me a little more to run my fingers through,” he whispered with a wink. He tangled his fingers into her hair tilting her head. He brushed his lips across hers and down her throat. 

Felicity let out an almost childlike giggle and Oliver abruptly pulled back. 

“Are you suddenly ticklish,” he asked. 

“No,” she said before laughing once more. “No, it’s just...Does this feel a bit weird to you,” she asked. “You and me? Us...like this.” Felicity had to admit that it still felt new. Five years ago, the thought would’ve revolted her. 

“It’s still kind of surreal,” Oliver admitted honestly. “But it’s a good different I believe.”

When he was with Laurel and sneaking around with someone else, it was never a repeat with the same girl. One time and move on. Repeats led to complications and the chance of being caught. Laurel was his only real long term relationship. and now Felicity. 

“It still feels new,” she said. “And I think that’s what I like the most,” she smiled. “Now kiss me again. I promise I won’t laugh this time.”

* * *

Oliver rested against Felicity’s headboard as she sat between his legs leaning into his arms. Her head was propped underneath his chin giving him a nose full of her scent that he couldn’t get enough of. 

Felicity leaned into Oliver’s embrace with his arms around her, legs intertwined. She could feel the best of Oliver’s heart pressed against her back. Her chest rose up and down as her own heart’s rhythm steadied.

“I don’t think I realized just how pent up I was,” she said quietly. Closing her eyes for a moment, she stilled and relished in the quietness around her. “You really helped me release it,” she looked back at him with a grin. 

“Glad to be of service,” Oliver laughed. He slowly dragged his fingers along her exposed arm. “Look at it this way, the hard work was worth it. At least you’re over hurdle number one,” he said. 

Felicity smiled at Oliver’s encouragement. “I’m glad you didn’t take it personal,” she said. “With me disappearing and all. Others aren’t always so understanding.”

Oliver’s hand stilled as he glanced down at Felicity. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head and waved her hand trying to rush her fleeting thoughts away. “It’s nothing.”

Oliver caught her hand prompting her to turn and look at him. He knew the statement meant something or otherwise she wouldn’t have said it. “Come on, you can tell me.”

Felicity rested back against Oliver with a sigh. This was the first time she thought of Cooper since being with Oliver. The more she thought about it, she really questioned why she chose to stay with Cooper once their relationship soured. 

“It’s just good not to have to explain my work life,” Felicity finally said. “Why I didn’t call or text as much. Why I’ve been sort of MIA.”

“Hmm.” Oliver said quietly. It didn’t take a scientist to figure out what she was really saying. “I’m guessing that’s how Cooper felt,” Oliver said. 

Felicity nodded. Right now was the first time Cooper entered her mind in a very long time. Oliver breezed in and he became an afterthought. 

“I think after I conformed.” She used air quotes around the word conformed because she never subscribed to the theory that she changed for a sole reason, rather she grew. “I don’t know if he didn’t trust me, if he felt a certain way about it because our careers were going in different paths or if he just felt neglected,” she shrugged. 

“Neglected? Sounds more like insecurity to me. If the roles were reversed, he would want you to understand.” 

Oliver never met Cooper, but he felt that he could get a good read on him based off the few things he’d heard. It seemed as if Cooper felt unfulfilled in his life. With Felicity excelling, and his career not going the way he hoped, ego was bruised. Cooper wasn’t man enough to deal with a businesswoman. Speaking from experience, Oliver certainly dealt with jealousy and insecurity about what someone else was doing. The old Oliver would feel a certain way as well, but now, he could appreciate what Felicity was doing. 

“I don’t think you should have to apologize for having a career,” he said. Just the thought alone was mind boggling to him. Someone could be so insecure that they needed reassurance every waking moment. “That’s crazy,” he said with a light laugh. “You don’t owe me any explanations. I’m not Cooper.”

“You certainly are not.”

She leaned her head back pursing her lips as Oliver met her for a kiss. It didn’t take long for the hunger in her to awaken again. “Up for another round,” she whispered against his lips.

Oliver nibbled at Felicity’s bottom lip. “I am pretty sure you can feel my answer to that. No need to say it verbally,” he said. 

“You’re so full of yourself,” she said as they both laughed. 

“Come on, admit it. That’s what you like most about me.”

“I’m not dignifying that with an answer,” Felicity said as she slipped out the bed. Before round two, she needed a drink. Grabbing her robe, she tied it around her waist. “Want anything from the kitchen,” she asked as she untucked her messy hair. 

“I’ll take a water,” Oliver answered. 

As he reached for the nightstand in search of the condoms he put there not even an hour ago. He inadvertently knocked over a notebook spilling pages across the floor. 

“You know,” he called out. “We really need to talk about you getting an at home desk.”

“No,” she yelled back. “Then I would really have conformed,” she said before laughing. She always fought against a desk for her place. She felt if she was working that late, she needed to be in the office. The last couple of weeks really proved otherwise.

Laughing quietly to himself, Oliver swung his legs off the bed and leaned over to grab the fallen materials. A quick scan over and recognized them as the notes from when he helped Felicity attempt to come up with a candidate. She’d added more onto the paper, evident by the colorful scribbles on the page. 

**Someone middle aged with a ranking title that would garner just the right amount of attention.**

The sentence was written in all caps with an excessive amount of exclamation points around it. Maybe that’s what she was leaning towards of all the choices. Oliver read the line over once more and it was like something clicked. He knew the perfect person with that criteria. 

Reaching for his phone, Oliver quickly scrolled to the one contact name he knew who fell under those qualifications. He began typing out a text. 

_Hey John, it’s Oliver. Long time no talk, huh? I hope everything is well with you and the family. I’ve settled in okay back home. Still getting my feet wet. I’m reaching out because I have something sort of important that I want to talk to you about. It’ll be better discussed over the phone, that way I can explain things in clear detail. Will you give me a call when you get the chance? Take care, friend._


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena has a strong opinion about Felicity and Oliver. Oliver has good news for Felicity.

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

Felicity walked into Jitters quietly speaking to passersby as she headed towards the window corner table where Lena and Curtis were waiting. “You went ahead and ordered for me,” she smiled as she sat down. “You guys do love me.”

“We had to considering how long it took you to get here,” Curtis said jokingly. “No hard feelings though.”

“Sorry,” she apologized slipping out of her jacket. “I was at the gym when you texted, so I had to go home to shower and change first,” she explained. 

Preparing for the charity run wasn’t a thought in her mind while work took up most of her brain power. Luckily, she found time for it since normalcy was entering her life again. She could actually visit the gym and get back to her training regimen.

Good for her that she was a creature of habit and Lena knew exactly what to order her. She could dig right into her meal. Felicity missed their friend lunches. The three of them getting together to talk about any and everything. Time spent together just enjoying each other’s company. 

They spent the first portion of the meal catching up on what was going on with one another in the last two months. Rehashing old topics and new occurrences in their lives. Eventually the conversation turned to her and her personal life. Wanting to know if Cooper had made a reappearance. 

“Oh please,” she waved her hand dismissing that notion. “Cooper has been the last thing on my mind lately,” she said honestly. 

It was as if those words together sent a signal to Lena’s brain and she knew she needed to question her best friend. 

“There seems to be something different about you.” Throughout their lunch, Lena tried to pinpoint exactly what it was, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. But now, now she felt that she was getting warmer. 

“What,” Felicity looked up confused. “That I’m not looking like an actual crazed person drowning in work? Yeah, I know.”

“No.” Lena shook her head as she continued to look. “It’s something else. It’s... It’s sex.”

“Sex,” Curtis said. He looked up joining Lena’s in her eye examination of Felicity. “Maybe it is sex. That’s certain to help you relax.”

“That’s exactly it,” she elbowed him slightly. “Remember how she was a couple of months before. Wound up. Her shoulders would be hunched and tight. Today she’s all relaxed.”

“Are you two seriously sitting here discussing me like I’m not sitting right across from you.”

Lena noticed the way Felicity didn’t confirm or deny what Curtis suggested. 

“You got laid last night. Didn’t you,” Lena whispered. 

“If I say yes, will you stop making a big deal out of it?” She glanced around for any intruding eyes, but everyone was in their own world. 

Oliver had come over and that was one of the reasons she got started in the gym later than she wanted to. 

“I’m not upset,” Lena smiled. “We all need to have our itch scratched every once in a while.”

“Who was it,” Curtis asked immediately. “Please tell me you didn’t go on dating apps? Because I’m sure Paul knows someone...”

“No,” she quickly interrupted. “First of all, I’m not a charity case. I’m perfectly capable of finding someone on my own. Which is what I did considering it’s not a stranger off the internet. It’s someone I know.”

Lena tried to go through the list of guys it could be, but was coming up short with a good possibility until it suddenly hit her. 

“Oh my gosh,” Lena exclaimed. Her eyes bulged in shock. She blinked rapidly before breaking into another wide grin. “It’s Oliver, isn’t it?”

Curtis choked on his sip of lemon water as Lena waited with baited breath. Felicity took an extended sigh. She nodded quietly giving Lena the satisfaction she was seeking. 

Lena laughed quietly to herself. “I knew it! Remember I mentioned the chemistry and you denied it? I knew sooner or later it would happen.” She looked to Curtis. “We should’ve made a bet.”

“Betting on my sex life? How immature.”

“Please,” Lena laughed. “You would’ve done the same. Now tell us how exactly this happened.”

“How was it,” Curtis asked before Felicity could say anything. “Because from the look of him Oliver seems to have great stamina. Was it everything I...” Curtis cleared his throat as both Lena and Felicity shot him a glare. “Was it everything you dreamed of,” he corrected himself. “I. You. Easy mix-up.”

Felicity could only smile at Curtis. His assumption about Oliver was correct. He was certainly not lacking in the sex area and Felicity had no complaints. 

“Judging by that smile he’s amazing,” Curtis observed. He pushed his finished plate away and leaned forward on his elbows. “I want details. Spill it.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “It started a couple of months ago...”

“Did you just say a couple of months,” Lena interrupted shocked. “Last night wasn’t the first time? You’re actually seeing him? As in a real relationship with him?”

“No. It’s not a relationship. It’s more of a casual thing,” she clarified. “No strings attached. No labels. Just two adults having consensual sex.”

Felicity reluctantly gave them a quick rundown of her and Oliver. How it started and how it was currently going. The details of what she and Oliver agreed upon. 

Lena stammered trying to find the next words. “I’m honestly surprised,” she finally said. 

“You’re the one who told me to have fun,” she threw at Lena. “And now you’re clutching your pearls.”

“I know! I just didn’t think you and Oliver would end up in this tangled web,” she said. Lena thought more of a one-time thing to get it out of those system, but what Felicity described seemed to be much more than a casual hookup. 

“Lena, you’re making this out to be much more than what it is. You’re looking at this a little too deeply,” Felicity sighed. 

It wasn’t as if Lena was purposefully being a downer. She was happy her friend was finding solace somewhere, but those type of relationships never really worked as the parties intended. There were a number of different ways this go sideways. 

“Or you’re not looking deep enough,” she slipped out before Curtis spoke. 

“I definitely didn’t have finding out that you’re in a friends with benefits relationship at lunch in the cards for today,” he gawked. “I’m still in shock.”

“Okay, let’s take a step back for a minute,” Lena spoke up once more. “We’re forgetting the elephant in the room here. Tommy.”

“And what about Tommy?” Felicity shrugged slightly picking up her water glass for a quick sip. 

“What about him?” Lena laughed with a scoff. “Big overprotective older brother will certainly have an opinion about his baby sister sleeping with his best friend.”

“Yeah well he isn’t as overprotective as he once was,” Felicity said. 

“Maybe,” Lena quipped. She grabbed her knife cutting into her salad. “Even if the two of you are in a little tiff, he’s always going to have on opinion on who his sister is dating. Especially if that person just so happens to be Oliver Queen.”

“Tommy has his own predicament going on, remember?”

“So, you consider him being with Laurel the same as you and Oliver being whatever it is that you are,” Lena asked. 

“No,” she quickly said. “That’s not it at all. Tommy wants me to stay out of his personal life, so why can’t I feel the same way?”

“I see what you’re saying,” Curtis added. “What’s the purpose of telling Tommy anything when it’s just a superficial fling?”

Lena looked to Felicity with what looked to be the one hundredth questioning gaze of the night? “Is that what it,” she asked her. “Just superficial?”

Felicity nodded. “That is exactly what it is,” she said. “We can even call it a situation-ship.”

* * *

“Seeing you eat a burger and fries is very surreal,” Oliver said to Moira as he sat in her office. He’d finished the last of his fries and for the last 15 minutes just watched his mother as she dabbed at the corner of her lips with a napkin after every bite and almost grimace at the messiness like the burger was a pain to touch. 

He’d decided to spend some time with her at QC during her lunch. He’d stopped by Big Belly Burgers and grabbed two combos. 

Moira laughed quietly as she wiped her hands with a napkin and then opted for her pack of wet ones on her desk. Burgers were simply not high on the list of delectable foods for Moira Queen’s taste palette. 

Oliver could probably remember two times when he saw his mother eat a burger. Both times were at kid’s parties where he and Thea wanted cheeseburgers and she was forced to pretend as if she was enjoying herself. 

“Despite this place being here for some time and being quite popular, I never gave it a chance.”

“That’s not shocking,” he laughed. 

“Who told you about it? Thea? She loves this place.”

“Not as much as she loves Jitters,” Oliver said. “And no, actually Felicity did. She also said the messier the burger, the better.”

“Felicity,” Moira repeated looking up with a raised eyebrow. “I remember a time where your only words regarding Felicity were occasional grunts and mumbles of annoyance thrown her way. 

“It’s been five years,” Oliver laughed. “We’ve both grown up,” he shrugged. 

Moira nodded in agreement, her mind lingering on Felicity. “She’s grown into such a beautiful young woman that’s doing great things and going to even greater places,” Moira smiled before thinking to herself. “I don’t get to see her as much now, I’m sure she’s busy with her work. I do wonder if she’s still with that Cooper fellow.” Moira stood gathering her discarded materials. “Whoever wises up and makes an honest woman out of Felicity will be gaining a wonderful woman in her.”

Oliver hopped up taking the discarded wrapper and box from her as Moira continued. He could feel that their conversation would soon hit a turn. His mother would look at him with those expectant eyes and want him to say what was going on in his personal life. He couldn’t say, yes I’m the one Felicity is currently seeing. Nothing serious, just sex and conversations. She wouldn’t understand and would certainly call them foolish.

As Oliver discarded the trash, there was a knock on Moira’s door. 

“Do I need to let you get back to work,” Oliver asked.

“It’s probably just my assistant letting me know what I have coming up next,” Moira said. “Yes. Come in,” she called out. 

The knob twisted and when the door opened, Moira expected to see her assistant, but instead Robert’s assistant, Isabel, stepped inside. 

“Sorry to interrupt Mrs. Queen.” She looked towards Oliver pausing for a moment. “Oliver,” she addressed him much to his surprise. “Mr. Queen would like to see you in his office,” she said. 

Oliver shook his head and grabbed his jacket slipping it on in a rushed hurry. “I’m sorry, but I was just leaving,” he told her as he fluffed his collar. 

He didn’t have anywhere to be, but talking to his father certainly wasn’t high on his list of priorities.

“Oliver.” His mother’s voice made him pause. He reluctantly sighed because her tone was that familiar tone saying to do what she was about to tell him with no hesitation.

“Mom...,” he began to object like a reluctant child.

“Oliver,” she repeated his name. “Go see him,” she sternly said.

Oliver knew where his father’s office was located, so this show of being escorted there like a visitor only angered Oliver more with each step they took. And the closer they got, Oliver could see the office sign clearer. His father’s name etched in the wood glossy as if the letters had been given a fresh coat.

“Here we are.” Isabel stopped outside their destination. With a slight nod, she bid him goodbye and walked off in the direction of her desk.

Oliver roughly twisted the knob and pushed his way inside. He found his father on his desk phone talking business. A normal sight to see when it came to Robert Queen.

“Sending your assistant to hunt me down. I guess I’m just another work file to you, huh?”

Oliver didn’t know who his father was speaking with and he didn’t really care in the moment.

“Hello to you too, son.” He hung up the phone and stood slipping his hands in his pockets. “I knew if I simply asked you to stop by, you wouldn’t.”

“I’m only here because mom asked me to come,” he said. “What do you need from me,” he asked. 

“Have a seat.”

“I’ll rather stand,” Oliver declined. 

Robert laughed quietly and slightly shook his head. Disappointment was sprawled across his face.

“It’s been five years,” he said. “I thought you would return changed, more mature, different, a better man. Instead you come back remain closed off, pissing away amble opportunities,” he yelled. “Five years later and you’re still the same entitled brat I sent away.”

“I’m not mature because I don’t want to be stuffed behind some larger than life desk,” Oliver threw back at him. “Why do you even want me here? Why would you want me being responsible for something that you have your name on since I’m such an embarrassment? You only want this so it could look good to your other white collar buddies. Brag about having your son follow in your steps.”

“It’s because I want you to man up and act like the man I want you to be.” With each word, Robert’s voice grew louder and louder almost like he was matching Oliver’s intensity. Act like your last name and not this spoiled rebellious child. Grow up,” he yelled. 

“If me working here is what you’re waiting on for me to prove to you that I’ve changed? You’re going to be waiting a very long time.”

With those final words, Oliver snatched Robert’s office door open and without another glance at his father, he left out of his office practically slamming the door behind him. 

Sitting at her desk, Isabel jumped at the sound of the shutting door and pretended to be deep into a word document on her computer screen, but it was obvious she’d been listening in. As he hurried to the elevator, Oliver could feel the averted gazes of the office staff wandering about trying to pretend as if they hadn’t heard every single word of the argument. 

Oliver didn’t really care at the moment about the scene he’d caused. He slapped his hand against the call button and waited for the elevator wishing it would hurry so he could get the hell out of there.

* * *

Since things began between them, Felicity never had any reason to complain about Oliver. She certainly had no reason to complain about his bedroom skills. Until now. 

When Oliver showed up, she noticed that he wasn’t as upbeat as he usually was. His body language was off and she could tell something was bothering him. She asked if he was alright and he said yeah, so she didn’t push it. They didn’t talk much and eventually fell into the comfort of insinuating sex.

As olives lips found hers, Felicity didn’t think much more of it, but she soon began to feel even more that something was off. Oliver’s kisses were hurried and intense. There was a hunger in them, but not a desirable hunger. It was as if he was trying to get lost and avoid something that clearly happened earlier in the day. 

Before things could go any further, she had to stop it. Pressing her hands against Oliver’s chest, she gently pushed him back. 

Oliver’s movements froze as he hovered over Felicity looking down at her. “What’s wrong,” he asked breathless. 

“I was just going to ask you that same question,” she said. She could see the confusion etched on his face as she sat up straightening her clothes on her. 

“What do you mean,” he asked confused. 

“Tell me what’s wrong with you,” she said. “And don’t say nothing. I can feel it. It’s practically oozing out of you.”

Oliver dropped his head with a sigh. There was no need to lie because clearly she picked up on it. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t have come over here like this.”

He was wrong to rush over wound up and overly emotional seeking a release. He didn’t view Felicity in this way. Their relationship might not have been the ultimate commitment, but she certainly wasn’t someone he just used to let out his frustrations on. In the past, he would certainly make a bad decision after being upset. Today though, he could only think of seeing Felicity and seeking comfort in her.

“Well you’re here, so tell me what the problem is,” Felicity urged him. 

Oliver flopped down onto the bed next to Felicity slightly shaking his head. His problem was the same recurring problem he’d been having since he stepped foot back home. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized again. He sighed once more before he explained what was truly bothering him. “I had an argument with my father today and it’s still weighing on me.”

“About,” Felicity asked.

“The same thing it’s always about.” Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose shutting his eyes. “Working at that godforsaken company.”

“Well that’s certainly a way to describe Queen Consolidated,” Felicity snorted. “Are you sure you’re not a rival empire looking to take them down?”

Oliver popped his eyes open meeting Felicity’s. He couldn’t stop the smile that appeared across his face. He exhaled staring up at the ceiling. 

“You and Tommy are just alike in that way,” Felicity continued. “A deep dislike for your parent’s company and neither of you ever say exactly why. So, right now, tell me why you hate it.”

Oliver pushed himself up and rested back against the headboard next to Felicity. He looked to Felicity as she met his eyes patiently waiting on him to talk. He never talked about these issues with anyone. Not even Tommy, but he felt compelled to confide in Felicity. 

“My father was never home,” he began. “Never,” he emphasized as he thought back. 

He remembered he would sometimes go days without really seeing Robert. Only seeing him in passing or hearing his voice filter through the manor early mornings just before he would leave for the office. 

“I started feeling resentment towards him because of that. It was as if he could never make the effort to be there. Like he felt being a father was just providing money, but it’s so much more,” Oliver huffed. 

“And what made it worse, was that my mother was a career woman and she never used work as an excuse. Even though she worked a lot, she always made the effort to be home at least for dinner or sending us off for school. My father just always had to be the first and last in the office.”

The honest words were just tumbling out of him now. Almost like he was resting against a sofa opening up to a therapist. After keeping so much in, it felt good to have someone to talk and listen to. 

“I’m not excusing my past behavior, but when I was away, I was finally able to be honest,” he continued. “I admitted to myself that part of the reason I slipped so out of control was because that was the only way my father seemed to notice me.” 

Whenever he massively screwed up, Robert showed up to reprimand him like clockwork. Make his disappointment known while saying he expected better from his son and from a Queen. 

“Wow.” Felicity sat stunned. She never thought Oliver’s reasoning would be so deep and profound. She was practically speechless. It was obvious that these were Oliver’s real feelings and they had an effect on him and had been for a long time.

“You know, I always told myself that if I had kids, I would never be so consumed by my career that I would miss out on being a fixture in their lives.”

Oliver’s words struck Felicity. She never expected those words strung together in a sentence to come from his mouth. 

“You thought about having kids,” she couldn’t help but to ask. 

Oliver turned meeting Felicity’s eyes pausing for a moment before speaking. “Everyone has at least once,” he looked away shrugging half-heartedly. “Even if they end up changing their minds.” And change his mind is exactly what he did. 

“Hey,” she called to him softly getting him to look at her again. She slipped her hand in his open palm linking their fingers together. 

“Oliver, these are a lot of feelings to keep inside,” she said. “And I know coming from me isn’t much considering my own familial issues at the moment, but I think you should at least talk to your father. Tell him what you just told me. Talk instead of arguing.”

Oliver shook his head feeling as if that would be a moot point. “He still sees me as the kid he sent away five years ago, so what’s the point?”

“And what exactly are you doing to show him that you aren’t,” Felicity asked. “I’ve seen it. Thea has. Your mother. You’ve shown it to literally everyone but him,” she reasoned with him. “Maybe if you show him that you’re actively doing something, he’ll quit attempting to back you in a corner.”

“What can I even do at this point,” he asked out loud. “For so long, it was a given that I would lead the company and in my rebellion, I didn’t look for any other options. My only goal was to piss my father off. Now I’m this stunted grown man still with daddy issues.”

“Oliver.” Felicity sighed with an eye roll. “You know you brood quite well,” she said.

He sighed with frustration dragging his hand over his face. “Felicity, I’m being serious here.”

“I am too. You keep selling yourself short,” Felicity said. “You have things to offer. You just have to decide to stop the brooding and self-doubt.”

Determined to help pull Oliver out of this self-deprecating funk, Felicity reached over on her stand and grabbed the notebook and pen that had practically lived there for some time now. 

“What are you doing?” Oliver peered over her shoulder as she opened the notebook to a blank page. 

“We are going to write out some options for you.” She uncapped her pen with her teeth and quickly scrolled Oliver’s name across the top of the page. “Let’s see...”

“Felicity...”

Undeterred, Felicity kept going as if she didn’t hear Oliver or feel him breathing down her neck. 

“You like women,” she turned to Oliver with a wink. He could only laugh and shake his head as she continued. “However, I think you excelled at that during your youth.”

Oliver continued to laugh with a playful roll of his eye. “Very funny.” 

“Sports,” she said next. “Although, I think you are way past your prime to think of picking up a sport,” she said as she drew a line through sports. “Water and boats,” she continued. “We could probably work with that.”

“What? Should I become a fisherman?”

“It could work,” Felicity shrugged. 

“If I lived somewhere like Maine,” Oliver said. “Then yes, I could practically live on the water. Here, not so much.”

“You cook,” Felicity added. “Lately if it wasn’t for you, I probably would’ve starved. Maybe you should have your own place and I wouldn’t have to depend on Jitters anymore.”

Before Oliver could respond, his phone vibrated and he saw John’s name appear on his screen. Since he reached out to John, he’d been waiting to hear a definitive yes or no from him. A bit anxious and wanting to give Felicity some good news, he hurried to check the text notification.   
  
As he read it, he sat up with a board smile drawing Felicity’s attention. 

“What is it,” she asked. His continued Cheshire smiling was a bit unsettled and making her nervous. The nervousness was intensified as he grabbed her hands pulling them both up. 

“Do you remember when I told you about my commanding officer?”

Felicity nodded. “Yeah,” she said a bit slow still not sure where this was headed. “John Diggle, right?”

“Yes,” he met her eyes with a nod. “I briefly mentioned that he was injured and was no longer in active duty.”

He paused as Felicity nodded showing that she was following him. 

“He was shot in the shoulder and that’s what left him with some problems,” Oliver continued. “Nothing major, but he does have nerve damage and it causes him to experience some paralysis in that arm,” he explained. 

“Oliver, are you saying what I think you’re saying,” she asked. Because it sounded to her like he was about to say that he just practically completed the last step in her project. 

“If John being your person for your bio-stimulant is what you’re thinking then yes.”

Felicity launched herself into Oliver’s arms with the weight of her body knocking him backward. 

“You’re serious,” she asked wrapping her arms around him. 

“I’m completely serious,” he laughed. Oliver held Felicity in her arms tightening his hold on her. 

“He reached out to you about being a candidate for my research,” Felicity asked. 

“No, I actually reached out to him,” Oliver said to Felicity’s surprise. “I figured he fit the criteria.”

He actually was a perfect fit. He was an older male with an admiral background and his injury didn’t seem to be overly extensive. 

“What’s the catch,” she pulled back looking hesitant. 

“There is absolutely no catch,” he assured her. 

“And he agreed?” Felicity asked the question because she was in disbelief. “Just like that? But he doesn’t even know me. I...” She shook her head walking around suddenly feeling antsy. “I didn’t even talk to him and he’s okay with basically being my lab rat.”

Oliver took Felicity’s hands and pulled her down to a seat next to him. Wrapping his arm around, he snuggled her into his side. “Come on,” he whispered ghosting his lips against her temple. “Of course I talked you up,” he said with a smile. 

“You must’ve gave him one hell of a selling pitch.”

“I’ve been listening to you for the last couple of months, so I’m practically a bio stimulant expert now,” he joked with a smile. 

“I can’t believe he said yes,” she said softly still feeling as if this wasn’t really happening.

“He talked it over with his wife and they agreed to consider it. John actually wants to come out for a visit to meet you and discuss things even further.”

Having a viable candidate took so much weight off of her shoulders. Because up until this point, she was still scratching her head on who she could present to the board as an option.

Felicity rested her head on Oliver’s shoulder looking up into his eyes. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“All I did was send a text. You’re the mastermind.”

“Still.” Felicity smiled tilting her chin up to meet Oliver’s lips. “It means a lot to me,” she kissed him softly. “Thank you.”

Slipping his hand into her hair, Oliver cradled Felicity’s head in his palm. “No thank you is necessary.”


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver makes steps to carve out his own path. Oliver and Felicity continue to grow even closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have this chapter up before Christmas, but things got hectic and I was unable to. Consider this a late gift. I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday, however you celebrate. Enjoy! :)

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

Oliver signed his name across the dotted line at the bottom of the contract and handed it to the awaiting realtor. 

“Congratulations,” the realtor said as he dropped the keys into Oliver’s hand. “This is an exceptional buy. Great decision, Mr. Queen.”

“Thank you,” Oliver shook the realtor’s hand. 

“I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your new home.” With that final word, the realtor packed his briefcase and made his exit. 

Oliver took a look across the loft with a satisfied nod at the realtor’s words. His conversation with Felicity seemed to light a fire inside of him. If he wanted his father off his back, he had to show Robert tangible evidence that he was a different person from the kid he sent away.

The first thing on his agenda was finding his own place. Staying in the manor was easy to do, he didn’t have to worry about any bills or responsibilities. With being a new person, he welcomed the thought of the responsibilities that came with owning a place to lay his head that he could call his own. He had access to his money, so the options were pretty endless for him.

Hiding away at Felicity’s place wasn’t exactly ideal and the thought of having his own place to invite her over was enticing. Inviting Felicity over to the manor was completely out of the question considering what they were doing was a secret. There was also the glaring fact that his sister was quite nosey and every time he came home late or early in the morning, Thea gave him questioning glares. 

All things combines, he was led to find this spacious loft that was perfectly in the middle of the two places he frequented the most. The manor and Felicity’s apartment. While searching he quickly found a nice loft on the other side of town. 

“This place is great,” Thea exclaimed as she bounced down the steps. “I’ve already picked out my room.”

Oliver closed the door behind the realtor as he exited. He tossed the keys up in the air catching them with a proud smile before turning his attention to his overexcited sister. 

“You live at the manor remember,” he said to her. Oliver moved into the middle of the place examining the rooms trying to visualize different setups and what he would place where. 

“I can split my time. No biggie.”

“Thea,” Oliver called her name with a warning tone. “Don’t come over unannounced or I will leave you outside like a pesky seller. I won’t even give you the dignity of letting you in and kicking you out.”

“Wow,” Thea exhaled before grinning. “My suspicions are correct.” 

“And what suspicions are those?”

Thea slinked up beside Oliver bumping his shoulder. “New place with lots of room,” she glanced around. “I’m almost certain there’s another reason as to why you suddenly decided to move out other than wanting to tap into your freedom,” she whispered. “So, who is the lucky girl? Is it the one you refuse to tell me about?”

Thea was right, but he couldn’t exactly tell her that. He had to keep acting as if there was no one and Thea was just being overtly nosey. Before Oliver had the chance to respond, his phone rang out silencing Thea. Pulling his phone out, he quickly glanced at the screen long enough to catch a glimpse of who was calling. 

“Tommy,” he answered relieved. Relieved that it wasn’t Felicity since Thea was sneaking glances and relieved that for now, he didn’t have to answer Thea. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to see what you had planned for today. If you’re not busy, I thought it might be good for you to come over to hang out,” he offered. “We can order some food and play the game. You know like we used to before we became adults,” he said. “It’ll just be the two of us.”

Tommy must’ve heard the hesitation in Oliver’s silence. If Laurel was around, Oliver insisted on staying clear. Because of that, Oliver and Tommy’s time spent together dwindled. Oliver could feel that Tommy was extending an olive branch, but unfortunately this wasn’t a good time.

“I actually can’t today,” Oliver said. 

“Oh.” 

Oliver could hear the dejection in Tommy’s voice and quickly offered him an explanation. “I just purchased my own place,” he said. “Literally just signed the lease.”

“Really,” Tommy exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were looking. Congrats man!”

“Yeah, it’s something that only came up recently. Figured it was time to leave the nest.”

“I get it,” Tommy said. “Can’t really have a bachelors pad at moms,” he joked. 

Oliver laughed quietly. “Virtually impossible,” he joked back. 

“Hey, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need me for anything,” Tommy added. 

“Thea is with me right now, so she’s helping out for the time being, which may prove to be a big mistake,” he said glancing at Thea as she rolled her eyes. “So, I will certainly hold you to that.” 

Tommy and Oliver said their goodbyes and when Oliver ended the call, he turned to see Thea staring at him with crossed arms and her inquisitive look once more. 

Not wasting a second, Thea began her questioning. “I’m going to take a wild guess here and say you and Tommy haven’t really talked or spent much time together lately. That conversation was a little...stifled.”

Thea was right. A recurring theme of the day it seemed. And it was becoming very annoying that his sister was picking apart his brain without him saying much. 

Taking Thea’s arm, Oliver ushered her towards the door. “Why couldn’t mom and dad give me a baby brother? I’m almost positive he wouldn’t have asked as many questions as you,” he said. “Come on. We’re going furniture shopping.”

* * *

The stamina Thea had to shop always amazed Oliver. It was simply amazing. Five hours of shopping and she didn’t seem to be a bit tired. Oliver had to practically drag her out of the last store and throw her into the car. He would take all of the old man jokes as long as it meant that their next destination was home. 

Thea opened the door to the manor as Oliver moved past her carrying two gigantic bags that belonged to none other than her. Of course a shopping trip that started out for him morphed into her picking a couple of things. 

“Just think, if I wasn’t with you shopping today, your place would be on the way to looking like a disgusting sports bar,” she said taking the bags from him with a quiet thanks. 

As they entered the manor bickering back and forth, Moira made her way down the stairs with a smile at the sight of them bickering. 

“Seeing this will never get old,” she beamed. “But I am a bit surprised to see you back tonight, Oliver? I thought for sure you would be out enjoying your first night in your new place.”

Oliver shrugged. “I figured I would spend one more night here.” He pointed towards Thea. “The brat can’t seem to get enough of me today.” 

She looked at him with a roll of her eyes before flashing him a smile and running up the stairs. He knew his words weren’t true even if Thea wouldn’t verbally say it. 

“Is Walter home,” Oliver turned to Moira asking. “There’s something I want to get his opinion on.”

Moira paused squinting her eyes at Oliver. She knew he and Walter made amends, but hearing Oliver say he needed Walter’s opinion was unexpected. “Can you repeat that?”

Oliver laughed. “I know. I know.”

“He is,” Moira nodded in the direction. “He’s in his study.”

Oliver jogged off rounding the stairs heading down the halls towards Walter’s office. When he returned home, Oliver learned that Walter never took over Robert’s old office upstairs. Even though he was well in his right to, Walter instead opted to convert a spare room on the first floor into a place for him. He wanted to be respectful and not overstep and it made Oliver regret the way he behaved when he returned home even more. Luckily, he and Walter were past that now. 

Oliver tapped against the door announcing himself as Walter told him to come in. 

“Oliver,” Walter looked up at Oliver with a proud smile as walked in. “I hear you found the perfect place. Congratulations,” he nodded with a proud smile. 

“Thanks,” Oliver said moving in. “I actually wanted to see if you had a moment to talk. I could use your advice on something.”

Removing his glasses, Walter motioned for Oliver to take a seat across from him. “Sure,” he said quickly. “Happy to oblige.”

“As you know, well might’ve heard...I’ve been trying to figure out what to do job wise.”

Walter nodded. “Your mother may have mentioned it,” he grinned. “Hearing from the source is always welcomed though.”

With Walter’s business and finance expertise, he was the perfect person to seek advice from first. A job was next on Oliver’s checklist after securing a place to stay. The particular job he had in mind was risky, but it was the only thing he could see himself doing and enjoying. And no, it didn’t involve wearing a suit every day. 

“What are your thoughts on the restaurant business,” he asked. 

Walter sat back as his eyebrows ticked up. Not a question he was expecting at all. “Uh...it depends,” he stammered. 

Still needing more information, he questioned Oliver. “In what way exactly?” 

Before giving an answer, he needed to know exactly what direction they were heading in before he could give solid advice. There were many different elements that went into the restaurant industry. It was also a lot of work and the chances of successfully launching one depended on many variables. 

“Owning and operating,” Oliver said. 

“Well there are positives and negatives as with every other business,” Walter began. One by one he listed the ways you could be successful and the ways failure was sure to come. “I will say that it’s a high risk, but also a high reward business if done right.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Oliver said after Walter finished explained the pros and cons. 

“You interested in owning a restaurant,” Walter questioned. 

“Sort of,” Oliver reasoned. “I was actually thinking more along the lines of a starting a food truck.”

Cooking was something he was good at. And since he was so adamant about not working with Tommy or his father, he needed another outlet and every thought led back to culinary. Felicity’s words seemed 

“A food truck,” Walter repeated. “I have to say there’s less risk there and they are quite popular now. Could be a smart endeavor.”

Oliver nodded. “I, of course know I would have to pass health inspections to get it running. I wouldn’t have to employ many people. That way, if it snowballs, I’m really the only person affected,” he joked. 

Money wasn’t an issue. Oliver wouldn’t need a loan or an investor. He could also survive a hit if something went wrong.

Walter nodded quietly thinking over Oliver’s words. “Your name is certainly a draw and I believe you if you say you have the skills. Cooking isn’t something you boast about without actually being able to back it up,” he said. “Seems to me, you have it all figured out.”

“Your parents don’t know,” Walter asked. 

Oliver shook his head. “No, you are the first. I wanted to get your opinion first considering your expertise in finance.”

Walter only smiled in return. For Oliver to come to him in this moment, was monumental. It was a complete 180 from the way he and Oliver were at odds when he first returned. He knew he could never replace Robert as Oliver’s father, but he was glad to be there for him if Oliver needed. 

Standing, Walter held his hand out to Oliver. “I’ll tell you an early congratulations and I want to remind you that I’m here to help in any way that I can,” he offered Oliver’s his hand. “Good luck.”

Oliver jumped to his feet and took Walter’s hand with a firm shake and smile. “That really means a lot. Thank you Walter.”

* * *

Just as his doorbell rang, Oliver blew out the match in his hands. He took a step back and examined his work. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous, but suddenly his palms grew sweaty and his fingers ticked at his side. 

Maybe it was because the dinner table was set with lit candles. Fine China plates and cutlery were set out. Thea really went all out with purchases. Only a few of his choices made it through; she said she didn’t want her brother with fraternity house decor. Red wine rested on ice waiting to be paired with the made from scratch pizza in the oven that was about ten minutes away from being ready. 

He’d never done this before, so he didn’t know if it was too much or too little. The most he’d ever done was grab a couple of to-go orders before going to a girl’s place or ordering in. This was entirely new territory and considering the terms of his and Felicity’s relationship, it felt like a big risk, but it also felt...right? Had he made the right decision? He was about to find out now. 

Opening the door, he wasn’t fully prepared for what greeted him. Felicity stood on the other side looking perfect as a picture. 

The first thing he noticed on Felicity were the high heels and long coat she was wearing. The coat was tan and it was tied securely around her waist. The high heels she stood tall in seemed to be the exact same color as her coat. He wondered just what was underneath and couldn’t wait to get a look. Fantasies ran to his mind like an over-imaginative teen looking at a woman for the very first time. 

“Hi,” she spoke.

“Hey,” he stepped aside welcoming her in. His voice managed to finally work. “Come on inside.” His eyes followed her as she effortlessly stepped inside, her heels tapping along the floor. 

Felicity undid her jacket tie and Oliver’s attention drifted away from the plant, his eyes locking onto Felicity once more. Her coat fell from her shoulders slowing revealing just what she was hiding underneath. A dress attached to her delectable frame. Not just any dress, an intense fiery red dress poured over her curves like molten fire. As she turned her back to him to hang her coat, he saw the straps that held the fabric together etched across her smooth back. His fantasy moments ago wasn’t far off. 

“Wow,” he exhaled. Oliver took the coat from her hanging it not letting his eyes leave Felicity for more than mere seconds. “Let me get that for you.”

“Thanks,” she smiled. Bringing her hands up. She held a very green plant in his line of sight. In his haste to lust, he completely missed she’d been carrying something. “I have a housewarming gift for you. It’s a fern,” she looked up at him with an excited smile. Plant speak was about to follow and she was always happy to talk about plants. “It thrives in low light and very low maintenance,” she began to explain. “I figured this would be a good starter plant for you. You don’t have to watch it every day.”

As she talked and noticed Oliver didn’t say a word, Felicity realized she might as well had been speaking another language. Oliver might’ve been looking at her, but his eyes said everything they needed to say with his lustful gaze. 

Felicity shook her head slightly. “Did you hear a word I said,” she asked with a laugh.

Oliver nodded. “Of course I did.”

“What did I say,” she challenged him.

“It’s a fern that I don’t have to watch with a critical eye.” It was a summation, but it held the key points. 

“Lucky you,” she playfully rolled her eyes. 

Oliver moved closer to Felicity and kissed her lips with a smile. “Thank you for the gift.” He placed his new home decor on the stand by the door and quickly filled the emptiness in his hands with Felicity’s own hand. He let his gaze wash over her taking in her features enhanced by touches of makeup and her straight hair falling just past her shoulders. “And you look absolutely amazing.”

Turning with her hands in his, Oliver pulled Felicity behind him leading him into the main area of his place. He felt anxious to show her what he’d done. 

Felicity followed Oliver glancing around. “This place looks amazing,” she said. She was pleasantly surprised at how well things turned out. There were a couple of boxes in the corners, but for the most part, the loft had really come together. 

“What are we eating,” she asked. The place smelled amazing. “Is it Italian?”

“Pizza,” he answered as he led Felicity down the steps into the eating area. Pizza was her favorite, so he wanted to make sure she had one that was better from the cardboard takeout she usually got. 

Felicity stopped in her tracks looking at the spread Oliver prepared. “Wow,” she exhaled. “Pizza and this setup...all for me?”

“Yes.” Oliver nodded. 

“I can’t believe...” She looked at Oliver who seemed very pleased with himself. When he invited her over, he said they were having dinner, but this felt like so much thought, preparation and care went into it. 

“I just wanted to do something special for you,” he said taking her in his arms again. 

“The sex is that great, huh?”

“No.” Oliver immediately cut her off with a shake of his head. He felt something inside of him stir when she quantified them down to just sex. “I mean it is,” he quickly corrected himself laughing. “That’s not all though. It’s much more than that.”

“Oh.” Felicity stood quietly. Those words definitely needed an elaboration. 

“Just...let’s have a seat.” Going to the table, he pulled out a seat for her. “Over the last couple of weeks you’ve really helped me put things in perspective,” he said as they both took their seats. 

“Our talks, they seem to really center me,” he said. Taking her hands in his, he brushed his thumbs across her knuckles massaging her smooth skin. “Remember when you made that list about things I could do and briefly mentioned cooking?”

Felicity nodded. “Does that mean you’re thinking of being a chef?”

“Not exactly,” he said. “I want to open a food truck. I’ve talked it over with Walter regarding the risks, and I think I’m going to do it. I’ve even looked at some available trucks online.”

“Oh my gosh,” Felicity exclaimed full of excitement. “That is so wonderful.” She threw her arms around his neck hugging him. “Have you told your family yet,” she asked. 

“Walter knows. I asked him for some advice. You’re the only other person I’ve told,” he answered. “When I tell my family, especially my father, I want to have a more concrete plan in hand.”

Felicity cradled Oliver’s face in “I’m proud of you. Your family will be too. Robert as well.”

Oliver turned kissing Felicity’s palm. “Thanks for everything.”

“I’m only giving back some of what you gave to me,” she said with a sincere smile. “I think it’s safe to say, we’ve helped each other.”

* * *

Oliver rested against the wooden column in his living area as he watched Felicity relax on blankets in front of the burning fireplace. His furniture wasn’t set to arrive until the end of the week, so for now, he had blankets and makeshift pallets on the floor. 

“This is such a great place,” she turned to him saying. “I love this fireplace. I could just relax here all day.”

“So, what you’re saying is, I’m going to have a hard time getting rid of you?”

Felicity hopped up with a nod and began making her way to Oliver. “Considering you promised me breakfast in bed in the morning, I just may get used to this treatment and never leave.” 

She stopped in front of Oliver, their height difference on display since Felicity opted to kick off her heels. Oliver stared down at her as she rested against his chest.

“You have such an intense way of looking at people, you know that,” she asked. 

“Really? I’ve never been told that,” he said. “What do you mean,” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “When you look at me at times, I feel almost as if you can peer into my soul.”

Oliver laughed quietly. He wrapped his arms around Felicity’s waist holding her against him. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It depends. What are you trying to see,” she questioned. 

Oliver thought to himself for a moment as his eyes washed over Felicity. He took in her features enhanced by the glow of the bouncing flames. 

“You,” he answered.

“Well do you like what you see?”

“I do. A lot,” he leaned forward meeting her lips as Felicity draped her arms over his shoulders. “A lot,” he emphasized erode deepening the kiss. 

* * *

“Your legs look absolutely amazing in that outfit.” Curtis said to Felicity as she walked up to greet him and Lena, who gave her a champagne flute as soon as she was within reach. 

Felicity glanced down at her legs showcased by the leather high-waist shorts she opted to wear today. 

“The workouts definitely help in that area,” Felicity responded. There was pride in her voice with how far she’d come since she first started working out. “But will you please stop ogling me at work?”

“Oh please. This is not work,” he quickly objected. “We’re at the home of your secret boyfriend’s family drinking mimosas and eating hors d'oeuvres. This is anything but work.”

It was the fifth year that Moira Queen decided to open her home for a brunch where members of Queen Consolidated, Merlyn Global and other companies around town gathered at the manor to relax, network, market, gossip and enjoy the unlimited amount of food and drinks.

It wasn’t exactly work, so Curtis was partially correct. However, people she worked with were in attendance and they certainly didn’t need to hear the last line Curtis slipped in about Oliver. His voice was low, but Felicity still shushed Curtis, who only giggled in return clearly thinking his joke was hilarious. 

“He’s not my...”

“Speaking of secret boyfriend,” Lena spoke up quickly cutting Felicity’s retort and denial off. She nodded across the room where Oliver was talking to Tommy. “The two of you are doing a great job of playing keep away from each other.”

Felicity and Oliver spent time together on yesterday, but they both kept their distant at the manor today. The last thing they needed were prying eyes. 

“Which is smart considering your brother, who is his best friend, and Oliver’s ex, who is dating said brother, are all in attendance,” Lena said. “I almost get tongue tied just saying it.”

Rolling her eyes, Felicity glanced across the room taking everyone in. Tommy and Oliver seemed to have slipped into their normal routine. Laurel lingered off to the side, drink in her hand trying not to draw much attention to herself. 

“Her father is here too, don’t forget that little nugget,” Curtis added snickering along with Lena. 

Felicity rolled her eyes once more and crossed her arms across her chest. She fought against the laugh she felt bubbling inside of her as she watched Curtis and Lena finally cease their giggles. Her two closet friends having fun at the expense of her personal life, but it was all done in good nature and good laughs. 

“I am so glad the two of you seem to find entertainment in my personal life,” she said. 

“That’s what friends are for,” Curtis held his drink up with a smile. 

* * *

Lena emerged from the restroom looking to see if she could spot Felicity. As she slipped through the crowds of people looking for her friend who could never quite turn her work brain off. For that reason alone, Lena figured Felicity was still talking to renowned scientist Ray Palmer of Palmer Tech. And there she was, on the balcony with Ray. Two people who could talk endlessly without tiring. They were still standing together engaged in a very animated conversation, more so on Ray’s side as he talked with his hands and his eyes widening in excitement. 

Before she could make her way over to them, Lena realized she wasn’t the only one whose attention the talking pair garnered. Oliver was across the way, his eyes directly centered on Felicity and Ray. His stare was intense, but not malicious. To the normal eyes, it wouldn’t make you pause, but to Lena who knew the situation with Oliver and Felicity, it made her break into a satisfied grin and she couldn’t bring herself to pass up this moment. 

Grabbing a drink from a passing waiter, she slipped through the crowd until she was standing right next to Oliver. She cleared her throat attempting to call his attention to her. 

The sudden sound prompted Oliver to look to his left finding Lena standing next to him, drink in her hand and a smile teasing the corner of her lips.

“If you look any harder, you just might look through them,” she leaned over whispering. 

Oliver laughed quietly and shook his head. Felicity told him that Lena and Curtis knew about them and she warned him that if spotted alone, Lena wouldn’t pass up the chance to poke fun at him. 

“I wasn’t staring out of jealousy if that’s what you’re implying...”

It was more of a look of admiration. The way Felicity’s entire face lit up when she talked about her work. The outfit she wore definitely drew his attention, so it was kind of hard not to look at her. 

“Besides, Ray Palmer is engaged,” Lena continued. “I don’t think you have to worry about him in regards to our girl.”

“Why would I be worried,” he asked. 

“You’re right. I don’t even know why I’m saying this. I forgot it’s not serious,” she said. “My mistake.”

Silence filled their conversation and Lena realized that her instincts were right. Even if Felicity was keeping the truth veiled, Oliver certainly wasn’t as great at hiding it. She’d questioned Felicity, so now it was time to hold Oliver’s feet to the fire, or at least give him a nudge. 

Lena was convinced both he and Felicity were fooling themselves in regards to the true nature of their relationship. The way Felicity talked about Oliver or whenever she mentioned something he'd done for her, it sounded like a lot more than friends with benefits and she wanted them both to admit. It had been a long time since she’d seen her friend relaxed and happy. Cooper certainly hadn’t brought her any joy in the latter part of their relationship and Lena was more than happy to have him completely away from Felicity 

Lena kept her eyes on Oliver as she studied him with a questioning glance. When he didn’t say anything in return, she gave him a simple shoulder pat and walked off with a shrug leaving Oliver in complete utter silence. Mission accomplished on her end. 

Oliver was now left alone by himself with his thoughts and Lena’s question in his mind. He looked back at Felicity. She was still talking to Ray completely oblivious to the simple question her best friend presented him with.

If Lena was still standing next to him, Oliver would’ve given her an answer. Yes, nothing serious. He and Felicity were just friends, nothing more. 

But honestly it wouldn’t have felt truthful. He would’ve said yeah because that’s what Lena was expecting to hear. Felicity told her that their thing was casual, but Lena seemed to have asked for a reason. Probably due to him staring at Felicity for most of the time he’d been at the brunch. Best friends typically catch everything. 

In this moment though, standing in his spot looking at Felicity with not so distant memories of the time they spent together at his place fresh on his mind, he no longer knew if a yes to Lena’s question was the truth.

* * *

As Ray said goodbye and walked away, Felicity took a much needed sip of her drink to soothe her throat. She knew she talked a lot, but Ray certainly beat her out in that area. 

She turned around and turned right into Tommy’s open arms. “Baby sis.” He squeezed her tightly kissing her temple. 

“Hi Tommy.” Felicity smiled hugging Tommy back. 

He squeezed her once more before letting her go. “For this to be a relaxed brunch, you seemed to have been very popular today,” he said. 

“Oh, you mean my talk with Ray Palmer. He wanted to discuss a future collaboration,” she said. “Anyway, all you had to do was come up to me,” she said. “I would’ve turned my work brain off for you,” she joked. 

Felicity had been happy to see Tommy in attendance. Maybe it meant that he was extending an olive branch, no longer ignoring his family and what they worked towards, actively trying to be involved. She was more than happy to meet him halfway. 

“I have to admit that I was a bit shocked to see you here,” she said. “Happy, but shocked.”

Tommy smiled softly. “I could never quite pass up brunch food. You know how much I love quiche,” he joked as Felicity laughed. 

The sound of them laughing was welcomed because it was something that seemed to no longer find her and Tommy. A moment of sibling love and peace and she missed it dearly. The fighting was exhausting and she just wanted them to talk and put things behind them. 

Their moment would only last for a short time because soon Laurel walked up interrupting them. “Are you ready to go,” she asked. Her head was still down as she dug around in her purse looking for what Felicity assumed were the car keys. 

“You have been sending me SOS messages all night, so I figured I would come rescue you. You said to come get you in about 30 minutes right.” Laurel looked up and her voice slowly trailed off once she noticed Felicity standing next to Tommy. 

“Oh. Felicity,” she stuttered almost saying her name. “I didn’t see you there. Hi.” An awkward smile stretched across her face as she noticed the tension that had entered so suddenly. 

Felicity gave her a tight smile. “Hi,” she managed to speak. She looked to Tommy who seemed to have suddenly forgot how to talk, so she figured it was best to let him go on his way. “Since you’re ready to go, I’ll just get out of your way.”

“Felicity. I didn’t...”

“Why even come,” she asked. Closing her eyes, she shook her head letting out a sigh. “You know what,” she spoke before Tommy could say a word. “I get it. I truly truly do. It’s fine,” she said quietly. 

“Felicity...”

“It’s fine,” she repeated. This time there was no mistaking that she meant the exact opposite of what she was saying her voice was firm. She glanced toward Laurel, who during the entire exchange remained quiet, barely moving or adding even the smallest sound. “The two of you have a good rest of your day.”

Before she could give either of them the chance to stay or leave, she walked off leaving them without another word. She kept walking through groups of people and when she glanced back, she saw Tommy turning on his heels following Laurel out of the manor just as she expected. 

Turning the corner to head for the spare room that held her belongings, Felicity felt someone grab her wrist. Before she could react to see who grabbed her, she heard her name called softly. In an instant her mood changed and she could feel the annoyance and anger slowly leaving her system. 

When she turned around, Oliver released her hand slowly giving her a sympathetic smile. “You alright,” he asked. 

She nodded quietly. “It’s nothing new, right?” The incident wasn’t much different from things that happened in the past, she shouldn’t have expected anything different. 

“Still. I know it can be frustrating...”

“I’m fine,” she said reassuring him. “Especially now.”

Oliver’s hand slipped down to hers squeezing her fingers before he finally let her hand go. 

From his vantage point, Oliver saw the exchange between Felicity and Tommy go from happy sibling interaction to the same tense interactions as soon as Laurel walked up. The frustration on Felicity’s face was visible and her body language showed it as well. When he saw Felicity march off, he followed her. 

Oliver glanced around and saw the crowd dwindling down more with the event winding down to an end. He looked at Felicity gesturing to the exit. 

“You want to get out of here,” he asked. 

Felicity nodded with a smile. “Your place or mine?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and I hope you all continue to have a safe holiday season! I will see you in the new year! 
> 
> P.S. John Diggle makes his long awaited debut next chapter! :)


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Oliver have a much needed talk. John arrives in Starling to meet an excited Felicity, but he also has some questions of his own for Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, for my first 2021 update! 
> 
> ENJOY!

_**"It's the unexpected that changes our lives."** _

* * *

“I think you should do a black truck instead of white,” Felicity offered from her seat on the barstool at Oliver’s kitchen island. “Black is a more sophisticated color and the white would get dirty much quicker anyway.”

“Of course the former goth would suggest black,” Oliver joked as he closed the oven door. He sat down the pan of piping hot cabbage rolls stripping off his oven mitts. He spent the entire day trying out different recipes letting Felicity sample each of them to get her opinion. 

“I was being serious,” Felicity laughed. She filtered through the different color patches spread out in front of her trying to find a scheme that worked. “What about this,” she asked Oliver as he made his way over to her with a plate. 

Oliver stood behind Felicity looking down at the colors as Felicity explained what she was thinking. 

“Black truck with green lettering. Maybe the lettering good be outlined in gold. Give it a little flair,” she offered. 

“That could work,” he said. 

Up until that moment he’d only considered a white truck and black lettering. It was good to have Felicity’s perspective on things since she thought outside the box. Color schemes and decor were not his strong suit. Thankfully he had Felicity and Thea for that. 

Felicity moved the materials out of the way making room for Oliver to sit the plate. “What is this called again,” she asked picking up her fork and knife. 

“Golubtsi.” The Russian term slipped off his tongue effortlessly. “Stuffed cabbage rolls is the common name.”

“We’re going to have to talk more about you speaking Russian one day,” Felicity said as she cut into the roll and took a bite. She could taste the savory flavor of the beef with the tartness of the tomato purée drizzled over the roll. “So, it’s decided? You’re certainly leaning towards Russian cuisine?”

“I think so,” Oliver said. “It would be something different and different tends to stand out more.”

“This is good,” she said. “Everything I’ve tried has been so good,” she took another bite. “You’re going to make all my hard work and time spent in the gym a moot point.”

“No, I am not,” Oliver laughed. 

“Oliver, you feed me fried cheese not even 30 minutes ago. I think that pretty high on the list of foods that give you extra pounds.”

“We can work out together,” he whispered. 

“Please tell me that line never worked on anyone before,” Felicity laughed. 

Oliver wrapped his arms around Felicity pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “It wasn’t a line. I actually meant a real workout,” he said with a laugh. “Glad to see what’s on your mind and that you only think I’m good for one thing.”

“You’re actually good for two,” Felicity objected. “Cooking, for me,” she glanced back at him with a grin. 

Oliver laughed softly before growing quiet. His agenda for the rest of the day came to mind. He was going to talk to his father and hopefully put their problems away. 

Felicity glanced back at Oliver noticing the far off look in his eyes. “Thinking about the talk with your father later today,” she asked. 

He sighed and nodded. “How’d you know?”

“Intuition,” she said. “It will go fine,” she said attempting to reassure him. “Think positive.”

Oliver rested his head in the crook of Felicity’s neck tightening his hold on her. He could only hope that it went well. This constant fighting was exhausting and he no longer wanted to be angry. He was holding out hope that Robert would listen to him. Really listen to him and his reasoning for doing things his own way. 

“I’m going to go over in about an hour,” Oliver said. “He said he would be done at the office by then.”

“I should probably be heading home myself,” Felicity said.

“You don’t have to leave,” he suggested. “You can stay the night.” Oliver tightened his hold around Felicity. He leaned into her neck pressing kisses against her skin attempting to sway her with more than just his words. 

Felicity thought for a moment. “You’re picking up Mr. Diggle from the airport tomorrow and he’s staying here,” she finally managed to speak. “So, I’m not quite sure his first meeting with me should be when I’m coming out of your bedroom.”

Oliver’s lips moved from Felicity’s neck to her ear, nibbling along the path. “I am, but technically that has no bearing on you staying for tonight.”

“Oh, are we speaking in technicalities now,” she laughed. 

“We are,” he nodded before continuing. “You came straight here after work, so I know you have all your important things with you. Also, you left your spare bag here last week and it’s full of products and an outfit that’s more than suitable for work,” he listed off his reasons. “You can stay the night and just leave in the morning considering I’m not picking him up until early afternoon.”

Depending on how the talk with his father would go, he would probably need to come back to his place and decompress. Felicity had a certain way of saying just the right things and he was always in the mood to spend more time with her. 

Felicity was impressed at how quickly Oliver came up with not only reasoning’s, but reasoning’s that made sense. “Alright.” She quickly gave in not attempting to put up a fight. “I’ll stay.”

“Alright,” he repeated. “I thought we would go back and forth a little longer. I was ready to argue my points again. You agreed pretty quick.”

She turned back to her plate grabbing her fork again. “That’s only because I’m not ready to stop eating just yet,” she grinned as she took another bite of the roll.

* * *

Oliver waited with baited breath for his father to say something about the plans he showed him and to hear his thoughts. He wanted to move forward and his father was the last person on his list of amends to make. 

He felt almost juvenile awaiting Robert’s approval, but he would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want it. There was still a part of him that wanted to make him proud, only difference is that he wanted to do things his way.

“Son, this is...wow.” Robert finally spoke looking from the paper to Oliver with a smile. “This is really good.”

“Really,” Oliver questioned. He couldn’t help to be a little skeptical because he honestly expected some form of a but. “You mean that?”

Robert nodded. “It’s an impressive thoroughly thought out plan. Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

Oliver took a small sigh of relief. “I wanted to wait until I was really prepared when I presented this to you. Especially considering the way our talks have gone lately,” he said honestly. 

Their talks lately could barely be classified as conversations. They were arguments or in Oliver’s part silence because he completely avoided him. And Oliver could admit that at times, he didn’t help things by being on the defensive immediately. He’d just grown tired of trying to explain what he felt he shouldn’t have to explain. Then he talked with Felicity and she helped put things in focus.

“Oliver, this rift between us, I don’t like it either. Why would you assume that I like being at odds with my son?”

“We didn’t talk when I initially came back. You made demands.”

“Oliver...”

“And instead of giving me a chance, you immediately assumed that I was still the kid you sent away,” Oliver continued. “Listen, I know I made huge mistakes back then, but I don’t think those mistakes should still define me today,” Oliver said.

“But you never vocalized your wants. What else was I to assume,” Robert asked. 

Oliver pondered the question quietly for a money. Thinking. He immediately thought of Felicity’s words saying how he shut down when it came to Robert. 

“You’re right. I could’ve handled things better,” he admitted honestly. “Especially in the past. I knew early on that the corporate life is not for me. I don’t want to be stuck in an office day in and day out missing out on things like...”

“Like I did,” Robert finished. 

Oliver quieted as Robert continued. 

“You don’t have to hold back,” he sighed. He took a deep breath grabbing his glass for a quick sip. “I know I wasn’t the perfect father or husband,” he said quietly as if he was saying it to himself. 

He knew that. His divorce was evidence enough. Even if things were cordial between him and Moira, it was still a stain in his eyes. He’d failed his family. He’d been trying to make peace with his failures in that area. 

“I thought as long as I provided for you guys, I was doing my job,” he answered honestly. “I made mistakes, but I’m looking to do better now. I’ve made amends with Thea, and we talk a lot more now. Things are good between me and your mother. My friendship with Walter is still strong.” He pointed to Oliver. “You. You and I, I want to fix our relationship.”

“This is a start, right?”

“Listen,” Robert said once again being serous. “I apologize for the strain in our relationship. If I would’ve done things differently maybe you wouldn’t have been sent away for years causing us to lose even more time.”

Oliver shrugged with a half-smile. “It all worked out in the end,” he said. “I wouldn’t have grown up if I hadn’t gone. I certainly wouldn’t be looking to start a food truck business.”

“You’re a Queen, that business will certainly succeed. If there’s anything you need from me to help ensure that, just ask.” Robert offered his hand for a shake. 

“Thanks,” Oliver said. He took his father’s hand shaking it and Robert pulled him up bringing him in for a hug. 

“I love you son,” Robert said. 

This was moment that should’ve happened a long time ago, but Oliver was glad to have it now. He would have to go home and tell Felicity she was right. Talking made things significantly better.

“I love you too dad.”

* * *

Felicity straightened the framed art on her wall for the tenth time. It was finally straight. Well, it seemed to be. Or maybe, she’d adjusted it so many times that her eyes were crossed at this point. 

Leaving it alone, she stepped back moving away from it. Taking a deep breath, she quietly counted to five and exhaled releasing the tension in her body. A little over an hour ago, Oliver went to pick up John Diggle from the airport. They would be there any minute now. And as the minutes and seconds ticked away, she grew more anxious. 

She was nervous. Not a terrified nervous, but a more excited nervous. This was a big step for her and her work. She was excited to have a true candidate. If Oliver hadn’t suggested John Diggle, she would still be racking her brain to find someone. She would be so desperate; she would take out a help wanted ad. Now all she had to do was reiterate why this opportunity would be good and she was almost at the finish line. 

She smoothed her hand over her dress once more. A simple dress made of stretch material with an attached tie around the bunched waist. It was a wrinkle resistant dress that she threw in one night before going to Oliver’s. 

“Just sit down and relax,” she told her herself moving to her desk taking a seat. “You got this.”

Double checking all of her questions and talking points, Felicity whispered quiet reaffirmations to herself. Oliver and John Diggle would arrive any moment now. 

She glanced at the clock just as Gerry’s voice buzzed through the speaker letting her know of their arrival. She told him to escort them back and she straightened up anxiously waiting. 

As the knob on her door twisted, she stood to her feet brushing her hands against her skirt once more making sure they weren’t sweaty from anticipation. 

Gerry opened the door and in stepped Oliver giving her a smile and quick wink. Behind him stood, well actually he towered over Oliver. one of the most muscular men. He had to be one of the most muscular and toned men she’d ever laid eyes on. Oliver was no slouch, but this man was in shape like no other. 

She knew he was Oliver’s captain, so that meant he had to have some type of muscular build, but she wasn’t expecting a man with the size of arms as his to walk through. He slightly turned to the side as he entered making sure his shoulders didn’t brush against the door opening. 

“Felicity.”

Oliver calling her name pulled her from her stunned trance. She moved from around her desk approaching the pair. A smile appeared on her face and she had to stop herself before she began to look like the Cheshire Cat. 

“This is John Diggle,” Oliver continued the introduction. “John, this is Felicity Merlyn.”

“Hi.” Felicity tried to temper her voice as she spoke, but she completely failed. Her voice came out an octane higher than she wanted, but she managed to quickly recover. “It’s great to finally meet you Mr. Diggle.” 

“Mr. Diggle,” he repeated. “No need for such strict formalities. Please call me John,” he smiled. “If you’re the one who’s going to be providing me with a miracle, I think you’ve earned the right to call me by my first name,” he held his hand out. 

He might’ve been a massive human, but his face held one of the warmest smiles she’d ever seen. She could see why Oliver credited him so much with being someone who helped him turn his life around. His presence and demeanor gave off a calming spirit. 

“Alright,” Felicity smiled it return. “I can work with John,” Felicity responded with a smile in return accepting his hand. “It’s nice to meet you and please, call me Felicity. Please have a seat.” 

She offered them the chairs across from her mahogany desk. “First, I want to thank you for coming,” she began with a gracious smile. “For you to come here without even having a conversation means a lot to me,” she said sincerely. She pressed her hands against her heart emphasizing her point. “I’m indebted to you.”

“Do you have any questions for me,” Felicity asked. 

“Actually, Oliver gave me a pretty good rundown of things,” he said glancing to him. “I’m ready to get started.”

“Alright.” Felicity stop grabbing her badge clipping it on as she stood. “If there are no questions, we can go to the lab where we can discuss things further. “We’re going to take this conversation to the lab and get started.”

“Sounds good.”

John stood as Oliver stood with him. 

“You can come with,” she told Oliver with a smile. Then she quickly remembered that it wasn’t just her and John was the guest of honor. “That’s if it’s alright with John,” she looked toward him. 

John nodded. “By all means, come with. He’s the one who helped set this in motion after all.”

Walking down the hall, they headed to lab. Felicity badged them in and stepped to the side as John and Oliver moved inside. Her starched lab coat was resting on the coat hook. She grabbed it slipping it on motioning for John to have a seat at the exam table. 

“I need to get a quick scan of your arm,” Felicity said. 

John had stripped down to his tank now as he sat. His arms were even larger. How was that possible?

“I am going to give you an information packet with everything in it that goes into even greater detail, so I’ll keep things short and to point here.” She grabbed a stool rolling it over until she sat next to John. “For starters, this would be a small procedure,” she began. “We would deaden this area,” she pointed to a spot on John’s shoulder. 

“Pretty sure that part is already dead,” John joked. 

Felicity laughed happy to see John was such a lighthearted person who didn’t seem to be tight or wound up. It helped keep her at ease. 

“Well we would just take extra precautions to ensure that you won’t feel any discomfort,” she continued laughing. 

Oliver sat in the corner of the room watching Felicity and John interact. They settled into a quick ease with one another and it was almost like the forgot he was there as they talked and joked. 

Felicity positioned John’s arm just right in contraption and with the push of a button his images popped up on an iPad. Grabbing it, Felicity swiped across the screen enlarging the images. She could see the damaged area clearly. 

“See these bundle of nerves here is the cause for concern,” she circled the area. “We would insert the chip directly into this affected area.” Swiping once more, she moved to an image of the chip. “It looks big here, but it’s as small as your fingernail probably smaller. She showed a comparison image of the chip and a penny beside it. “Very small,” she emphasized.

“And the procedure, how long does it take and would it be an overnight hospital stay?”

“Outpatient,” she answered. “It would be an in an out procedure and then I would bring you back here to the lab the next day for testing. You should see progress in 24 hours.”

“That’s an amazing turnaround,” John said in awe. 

Felicity removed John’s arm from the holster. Next, she grabbed a set of electrodes separating them. “Next thing is a small set of exercises. I want to gauge your range of motion in your good arm compared to the injured one.”

“I didn’t know I was coming to work out,” he said as he began. “Are we sure you’re not really a commanding officer? Oliver, why didn’t you warn me about her?”

Oliver pulled his eyes away from Felicity at the sound of John’s voice geared towards him. 

“Hey,” he smiled. “It’s refreshing to see you taking orders from someone for once. Felicity’s the boss, so I suggest you listen.”

“Listen,” Felicity spoke up grabbing the iPad so she could take notes. “I promise not to include workouts the next time. And I'll even put the lab coat away, so you can really know,” she joked. 

* * *

As Felicity and Oliver entered her office again, Oliver wanted to see how Felicity was really dealing because to him it felt like a whirlwind. With the two of them alone for the moment, he thought it would be a good time to talk to her. 

“Hey,” he called to her quietly as they entered her office. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Good,” she answered immediately with a smile. “Really good.” She was practically beaming. 

She admittedly was nervous beforehand, but once she put on that coat and got to work, everything else drifted away. Her work was one of her happy places and she was ready to go. 

“Thank you for coming and sticking around,” she said to Oliver. 

She was sure he had more important things that he could’ve been doing, but him staying meant a lot to her. 

“I wanted to be,” he said honestly. “I got to really see you at work.” Watching you in your element was really something.” He grabbed at her coat with a playful tug. “The lab coat is a nice touch by the way,” he winked. 

He’d been transfixed by the sight of Felicity working. Yes, he watched her during those late nights or early in the morning when she stayed up late or hopped out of the bed as an idea struck her. 

Felicity sat to her desk taking a sigh. “That was only a small percentage of the process,” she said. 

Even though she was trying to temper her excitement and pats on the back, Oliver was doing the exact opposite for her. 

“Yes, but every step is an important piece of the process,” he said with an encouraging smile. 

“I didn’t get too technical did I,” she asked. “At times, my science brain takes over and I forget that some people may want more laymen terms.”

“No,” Oliver cut her off. “You were perfect.”

Felicity sighed breaking into a blushing grin. “Thank you. That really means a lot.”

Before he knew it, Oliver’s hand migrated over to Felicity’s where hers rested atop of her desk. For a minute they both forgot that they were technically in public. Felicity’s office gave them a false sense of privacy. The door was closed, slightly ajar. And in their moment of forgetfulness, they practically gushed at each other. 

It was always the way Oliver looked at her. Never before had Felicity been the subject of such an intense gaze. Cooper never looked at her in that way even during their happiest moments. Oliver’s look was a hard stare, but there was a softness behind it. It was deep and intense with a sense of longing. Recently, his looks made her feel a fluttering sensation. 

“You’re at it again,” she whispered. 

“At what,” Oliver asked feigning confusion. 

Felicity titled her head throwing Oliver a flirtatious smile meeting his eyes. “Staring at me like that,” she said. “I told you before, your eyes are a very dangerous thing, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver didn’t say anything. He only continued to look down at her with his smile slowly growing. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat almost made Felicity jump out of her skin and Oliver finally tore his eyes away from Felicity as she snatched her hand away from him. 

Oliver hopped off the desk to his feet. He coughed slightly as if the cough would mask whatever was just witnessed. Nerves were all over him. 

Felicity didn’t fare much better. She sat up straight as an arrow and began looking at the long forgotten papers on her desk as if they needed her attention. 

John stood in the doorway accompanied by none other than Lena. With the look in Lena’s eyes, Felicity was certain she would be hearing from her the first chance her friend got to say something. 

John was the first to speak glancing at Oliver for a moment before addressing Felicity. “I got a bit turned around, but Ms. Luthor was gracious enough to escort me here.”

“Thank you,” Felicity said to Lena. 

“Oh, no worries,” she looked to Felicity with a smile. “The pleasure was all mine. I was eager to introduce myself to your candidate,” Lena said as she walked in pointing between her and John. “Are we interrupting,” she asked looking to Oliver and Felicity. 

“No, of course not,” Felicity quickly said taking for both her and Oliver who still hadn’t audibly said a word. She snuck a glare at Lena as she walked past her to John. “I was just telling Oliver how excited I am to finally have things moving forward thanks to John.”

Lena headed for the office door. “I’ll leave and let you guys get back to work,” she said. “Nice meeting you Mr. Diggle and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around Oliver.”

Oliver didn’t say anything, he simply nodded in Lena’s direction as she left closing the door behind her.

“Well John, if you don’t have any more questions for me, I’ll let you go. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

“Can I treat you to dinner as a small thank you,” John offered. “You and Oliver.”

“I would love to,” Felicity said. But she had to reluctantly decline. “However, my father actually asked me to have dinner tonight. He’s very anxious to hear about things. Plus, I don’t want to impose on the two of you. I’m sure you have some catching up to do and want to spend time together,” she said. “Oh, and you agreeing is thanks enough.”

“Alright.” Instead of a handshake, this time John offered her a friendly hug and Felicity was more than happy to oblige. “It was lovely to meet you,” he said. 

“Likewise. This won’t be the last time we see each other,” she said. “When you come back, you bring that wife of yours.”

“I most certainly will,” he smiled. “I’ll make sure to see you again before I go home.” John looked to Oliver. “Looks like it’s just the two of us.”

Saying goodbye once more, John headed for the exit. Oliver gave Felicity a soft smile before quietly slipping out of the door behind John. 

Felicity let out a deep breath moving back behind her desk. As she sat down, her phone vibrated with a message from Lena. Laughing to herself, Felicity moved her phone to the side ignoring the message and began working on her report. 

* * *

“You’re serious about this food truck business,” John asked raising an eyebrow. 

Oliver slid a plate in front of John with a cabbage roll he warmed in the oven for him. He was eager to get his opinion on it. Felicity over it, but then again, she loved pretty much everything he cooked because that meant she didn’t have to cook anything. 

“I really am,” Oliver said. “I’m going to buy the truck this weekend with Thea. Felicity is helping me with the design concept.” He pushed the plate closer to John urging him to hurry and try it.

John took a bite giving Oliver his stamp of approval. “It’s good. Glad to see the little skill you picked up while away is doing you some good. You spent a lot of time with Anatoly on the ship.”

“Yeah I got this recipe from him,” Oliver said. “I think Russian fusion would be a good spin.”

“What did your father say,” John asked. 

“He’s actually happy for me,” Oliver said to John’s surprise. “Probably has more to do with him just being glad that I’m no longer being what he considered a bum,” he joked. 

John laughed quietly. “It always takes a little time once you return home. Even if you weren’t in the parts of service where there’s so much action. Your return has gone a lot better than I ever imagined it would in this short amount of time,” John said. 

“Yeah. Things are looking up now.”

John was proud of the transformation Oliver made while away with him and to see he was continuing it made him happy. 

“A career in mind, your own place, spending time with family.” John paused for a moment. “Falling in love,” he whispered. 

“What,” Oliver asked. 

“I mean I don’t blame you. Felicity seems to be one hell of a woman and I only spent a couple of hours with her,” he continued. “Smart as a whip. Once she was in her zone, it was amazing to watch her work. Reminds me a bit of Lyla in that way.”

Oliver stilled before breaking into a grin. “Here we go,” he laughed. “He wondered how long John would go without mentioning Felicity. “You’re making things up.”

John scoffed. “You’re really going to act like what Felicity’s friend and I walked in on was absolutely nothing,” he laughed. "I saw it in her lab as well. You were mesmerized."

Oliver shook his head. 

John cleared his throat leaning over the counter glancing at Oliver. “Fine. Tell me how you got wrapped up in all of this science bio-stimulant business,” John said. 

“I told you. Felicity needed a candidate.”

“I guess the part I’m a little stuck on is how the two of you even talked long enough for you to not only become interested in what she’s doing, but to also find a candidate for her. You also just mentioned she’s helping you with the truck, so there has to be a looseness and familiarity there.”

Oliver could tell John was digging for information, so he just stayed quiet letting John continue until he would eventually finish. 

“I remember you telling me about the people back home. Your best friend Tommy and his annoying younger sister. Seems as if the annoying part has fallen completely off.”

John was terribly good at reading Oliver. It was aggravating and annoying to Oliver in the beginning because he was still angry at everything. He hated it. Eventually the annoyance subsided and he came to understand that John was only trying to help him. He became a sounding board and a confidant when he had no one else. 

“Dig, you’ve always had a tendency to meddle and gossip.” Oliver slid a beer to John and rested against the countertop. 

John popped the top with a smile. “Being in my cohort’s business was part of the job and I became quite good at it,” he said. “Particularly yours. You shouldn’t be such an interesting guy.”

“I’m quite boring,” Oliver shrugged. “Not much going on.” He knew as soon as he said the words they weren’t believable. 

John took one look at Oliver and erupted in a deep laugh. “Glad to see that you’re still a terrible liar,” he laughed. “I know what I saw in her office, particularly the way you were looking at her,” John continued. “I’ve seen you around women. I remember McKenna...”

“McKenna wasn’t...” He was about to say it wasn’t real with McKenna, but he cut himself off. 

“She wasn’t what,” John asked. “Real?” He took a swallow of his beer with a quirked eyebrow. “Not real like Felicity?”

“I didn’t say that. I was saying that with McKenna we were...” Oliver shook his head quieting. He was about to fall into John’s trap. “Never mind.”

John laughed, but he was undeterred at how Oliver was sneakily trying to move the conversation away from Felicity. He wasn’t letting him off the hook that easy. He was determined to get an answer from his friend.

“So, it is like that with Felicity,” John asked. He smiled knowing he’d just gotten Oliver in his hooks. “You can’t bullshit me, Queen. We established that the first week we met.”

“Fine,” Oliver sighed reluctantly. It was exactly that. He and McKenna were just in the same place at the same time. With Felicity, he had to admit he was happy. A lot happier than he’d been in a long time. “We’re sort of seeing each other.”

“How long have you been together,” John asked next.

“Depends on what your definition of together is,” he answered. 

Oliver sighed. He knew he couldn’t get out of the questioning. John was going to dig and dig, so he should just go ahead and get it over with. He gave John a quick recap of how things between him and Felicity evolved. Everything from a simple conversation at the bar, to them falling into bed and together and how they both were helping each other in their respective careers.”

“Hmm.” John sat back crossing his arms across his chest. “I must say I severely underestimated the drama here in Starling. Let me summarize. You’re now with Felicity. Tommy is now with Laurel. Neither of them know about you and Felicity.”

“You covered all the major points.” Oliver went to the fridge grabbing a beer for himself. “You sure you still missed me,” he looked back at John. 

“No one finds themselves in a tangled web quite like you,” John said. “This may be an even bigger web than the one when I first met you,” he said referencing the Sara situation. 

“That’s the past. I came back home for a fresh start.”

“And Felicity was that fresh start? How did it even happen?”

“Yeah. You can say so,” Oliver shrugged.

“That simple, huh?”

Oliver shrugged again. “She was the only one I could really talk to in the beginning. The only one who was even willing to see the new version of me.” Thea was there. They had their little tiff, but quickly moved past it. “She wasn’t asking me to be that guy I was five years ago and she also wasn’t expecting anything from me.”

Tommy’s first act of business was throwing him a party with women practically spilling out into the street. Expecting him to jump right back into party mode and bedding as many women as he could because they were available. Oliver honestly wondered if that was Tommy’s way of unloading his on guilt over dating Laurel. 

There was Laurel. He couldn’t even begin to think of what she was expecting. One minute she was pissed at him, the next she was kissing him and once Tommy told the truth, she acted as if nothing happened. 

Oliver always thought back to his first real talk with Felicity at Jitters. He’d been a jerk, but she still managed to see something was bothering him and actually cared enough to ask what was wrong. They talked and he realized that they had a lot more in common than what made them different. They both were on a path of trying to prove things to doubters and it connected them. 

John watched Oliver as he talked. He knew when Oliver was lying. Every word he spoke here was the honest truth.

“And you’re sure it isn’t serious,” John inquired next. 

“You sound just like Lena.”

“Oh man,” John sat back with a sigh. “Today was the first day she saw the heart eyes?”

Ignoring John’s humor, Oliver continued. “Lena first noticed at the QC brunch. She pretty much asked if it was real and I couldn’t give her an answer.”

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t,” John said for Oliver to ponder. 

“Wouldn’t,” he answered. “We agreed to nothing serious, I just can’t switch it up on her.”

“Maybe she wants what you want? You ever thought about that? You won’t know until you actually verbalize it.”

“There’s no need to rock the boat when Felicity hasn’t even hinted at things becoming serious.”

“Maybe she hasn’t because things are already quite serious,” John said. “I saw the way she looked at you too and it wasn’t exactly one sided. And I’ve seen a couple of questionable things around here that suggest you have a guest on some nights. Those things considered don’t really equal to just a causal thing.”

Oliver wasn’t so sure about that. What if he brought it up and freaked Felicity out? If she didn’t feel the same about him that would be embarrassing on a new level. 

“I don’t know...”

“You’re afraid,” John quickly concluded. “Wow,” he exhaled with a laugh. “A man that’s has a history with women and leaving them without so much as a goodbye is suddenly afraid of rejection. That is particularly hilarious to me.”

Oliver scrubbed his neck with a frustrated sigh. “Are you going to keep cracking jokes or give me some advice here.”

“My advice is to be honest. You have to at least bring the conversation up and let her know what you’re feeling.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like John’s entrance into the story? I know a lot of people are happy for him to finally show up.

**Author's Note:**

> So, what did you think?


End file.
